Ing to the Supreme Court, the jury-trial right applies only when "serious" offenses are at hand—petty offenses don't invoke it. For purposes of this right, a serious offense is one that carries a potential sentence of more than six months' imprisonment.
The founding fathers believed that the right to be tried by a jury of your peers was so important that it was included in the Constitution. All persons accused of a crime or involved in a civil dispute have a constitutional right to have a jury decide their cases.
Felonies, being the more serious category of crime, almost always qualify for a jury trial due to the potential for severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences. Misdemeanors, while still serious, often carry less severe punishments and, as a result, may not always necessitate a jury trial.
Any party may demand a trial by jury of any issue triable of right by a jury by (1) serving upon the other parties a demand therefor in writing at any time after the commencement of the action and not later than 10 days after the service of the last pleading directed to such issue, and (2) filing the demand as required ...
(a) A claimant or counterclaimant must file the jury demand at the time of filing the claim or counterclaim. (b) A person opposing a claim or counterclaim must file the jury demand not later than the filing of his answer or other pleading.
This right is also preserved in Article I, Section 16 of the State Constitution of California. However, there may be times when it's in your best interest to waive your right to a jury trial, whether in favor of a bench trial, where a judge decides your verdict or as part of a plea deal.
The most common techniques of alternative dispute resolution include the Minitrial, Arbitration, the Summary Jury Trial, the Rent-a-Judge program, Voluntary Settlement Conferences and Private Organizations established to assist in dispute resolution.
The American system utilizes three types of juries: Investigative grand juries, charged with determining whether enough evidence exists to warrant a criminal indictment; petit juries (also known as a trial jury), which listen to the evidence presented during the course of a criminal trial and are charged with ...
Alternative Forms of Dispute Resolution for Legal Problems Arbitration. Arbitration is often viewed favorably because it can resolve a dispute more quickly than going to court. Mediation. Some cases must proceed through mediation before going to trial. Administrative Hearings. Settlement Conferences.