The 7th Amendment

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Purpose of the 7th Amendment

The purpose of the amendment is to have the right to jury trial in courtcases. The 7th amendment means that everybody has a right to a jury trial in a civil  lawsuit as long the law suit is more then $20.  However, when the amendment was written in 1791 twenty dollars was a lot more money than it is today. Today twenty dollars is about 1,248 dollars.  The amendment also says that the decision made by the jury cannot be overturned except if new evidence is found. 

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Current Applications and Historical Backgrounds

     This article was approved in the year 1791.  It was added becauses people should  have the right to jury trial and this made sure that you actually have that right.  The main idea of this amendment was to divide the work between a judge and jury during a  Federal civil court case.  The judge's job was to train the jury how to deliberate what evidence could be legally used.  Also, the judge gave advice to the jury members about the law.  The jury's job was to hear the facts used in evidence.