Seventh Amendment
Created By: Keyauni Goins
Amendment Basics
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trail by jury shall be preserved and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any other court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common laws.
Description of the Amendment
British government limited colonist's right to a jury trial, Whenever the colonist's won their independence from Great Britain, they repeatedly listed the right to a trail by jury among basic rights.
Supreme Court Case (Government Must Specify Jury Trail 1981)
Alice Nakshian sued the U.S Navy for age discrimination. The supreme court ruled that in cases against the government, the right to a jury trail only exists if congress specifically grant it. Since the ADEA did not mention juries one way or the other, the court ruled that Nakshian was not entitled to a jury trail.
Cited Source of Supreme Court Case
"Seventh Amendment." Constitutional Amendments: From Freedom of Speech to Flag Burning. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2008. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.