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Rule 38 – Jury Trial of Right

May 14, 2021 | Civil Procedure, Vermont

(a)Right Preserved. The right of trial by jury as declared by the Constitution of the State of Vermont or as given by a statute shall be preserved to the parties inviolate.
(b)Demand. 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 14 days after the service of the last pleading directed to such issue, and (2) filing the demand as required by Rule 5(d). Such demand may be indorsed upon a pleading of the party.
(c)Same: Specification of Issues. In the demand a party may specify the issues which the party wishes so tried; otherwise the party shall be deemed to have demanded trial by jury for all the issues so triable. If the party has demanded trial by jury for only some of the issues, any other party within 14 days after service of the demand or such lesser time as the court may order, may serve a demand for trial by jury of any other or all of the issues of fact in the action.
(d)Waiver. The failure of a party to serve and file a demand as required by this rule constitutes a waiver by the party of trial by jury. A demand for trial by jury made as herein provided may not be withdrawn without the consent of the parties.

Vt. R. Civ. P. 38

Amended Feb. 22, 1996, eff. July 1, 1996; amended Sept. 20, 2017, eff. Jan. 1, 2018.

Reporter’s Notes-2018 Amendment

Rules 38(b) and (c) are amended to extend their 10-day time periods to 14 days consistent with the simultaneous “day is a day” amendments to V.R.C.P. 6.