Every American is guaranteed a right to a trial by a jury of their peers in a court of law, thanks to the Seventh Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, almost all criminal cases are settled out of court, and of the ones that go to trial, many choose to forego a jury trial in favor of a “bench trial” instead. Why is it that, despite having this right, so few criminal defendants choose to have a jury trial? Continue reading “The Benefits and Drawbacks of a Jury Trial”