A company files a lawsuit in federal court against one of its former suppliers, seeking monetary damages for breach of contract and also requesting an injunction to prevent the supplier from selling certain trade-secret-protected items. The supplier files a timely demand for a jury trial. How is the court most likely to approach the supplier's demand?
The supplier's right to a jury trial is influenced by the total amount of damages requested in the lawsuit.
The supplier has the right to a jury trial on certain matters in the case, including the request for damages.
The supplier does not have a jury trial right because the case involves a combination of legal and equitable claims.
The supplier has the right to a jury trial on the legal claim for monetary damages, and the court will handle the injunction claim.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in federal civil cases for legal claims but not for equitable claims. A claim for monetary damages is classified as legal and therefore triggers the right to a jury trial. By contrast, a request for an injunction is an equitable claim that does not provide the right to a jury trial. In lawsuits involving both legal and equitable claims, federal courts try legal claims before a jury first, followed by the resolution of equitable claims by the judge. Other answers incorrectly suggest that the inclusion of equitable claims disqualifies the jury trial for legal ones, provide overly broad interpretations of the jury trial right, or oversimplify the factors impacting jury trial availability.
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What is the Seventh Amendment and how does it relate to jury trials?
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