Seventh Amendment to the United
States Constitution
United States of America
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United States Constitution
Original text of the Constitution
Preamble
Articles of the Constitution
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Amendments to the Constitution
Bill of Rights
I ∙ II ∙ III ∙ IV ∙ V
VI ∙ VII ∙ VIII ∙ IX ∙ X
Subsequent Amendments
XI ∙ XII ∙ XIII ∙ XIV ∙ XV
XVI ∙ XVII ∙ XVIII ∙ XIX ∙ XX
XXI ∙ XXII ∙ XXIII ∙ XXIV ∙ XXV
XXVI ∙ XXVII
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The Seventh Amendment
(Amendment
VII) of the United States Constitution, which
is part of the Bill of Rights, codifies the right
to a jury trial in certain civil trials. Unlike
most of the Bill of Rights, the Supreme Court
has not incorporated the amendment’s re-
quirements to the states under the Four-
teenth Amendment.
Text
“
In Suits at common law, where the
value in controversy shall exceed
twenty dollars, the right of trial by
jury shall be preserved, and no fact
tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-
examined in any Court of the United
States, than according to the rules of
the common law.
”
Reexamination of facts
The Bill of Rights in the National Archives
Even where a legal, rather than an equit-
able, issue is controverted, the judge has a
role in the determination of the verdict. The
Supreme Court has held that judges may
opine on the facts in dispute (provided that
the jury actually determines the dispute), dir-
ect the jury to pay special attention to certain
evidence and require the jury to answer cer-
tain questions relating to the case in addition
to giving a verdict. If the judge deems the
plaintiff’s evidence insufficient, he may direct
the jury to find in the defendant’s favor. The
jury may, however, return a verdict contrary
to the judge’s direction
As common law provided, the judge could
set aside (or nullify) a jury verdict that he
deemed went contrary to the evidence or the
law. Common law precluded the judge from
himself entering a verdict; a new trial, with a
new jury, was the only course permissible. In
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