Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Tennessee
jury trial-defamation
Does the defendant have a right to a jury trial in a civil circuit court defamation/false light case? The plaintiff wants bench trial. What would be the citing authority that would give the right to jury trial at defendants request. Please refer me to the law that allows this is possible. All the cases I read refer to defamation cases being heard by juries, but I can't find where it give the absolute right. Thanks in advance.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: jury trial-defamation
The right exists in Rule 38 of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure. Not knowing these rules (or possibly the rules of evidence) is what severely hampers individuals attempting to litigate cases on their own. Especially if you are a defendant, you have potentially a lot at risk and should seek a trained attorney to represent you.