What does the Seventh Amendment guarantee?

• A. Right to a trial by jury in civil cases
• B. Right to bear arms
• C. Protection against self-incrimination
• D. Freedom of the press

Answer: (A)

The Seventh Amendment focuses on civil cases and establishes the right to a jury trial in those disputes. It means that in civil lawsuits in federal courts—like disagreements over contracts, property, or damages—a group of ordinary citizens can hear the evidence and decide the factual issues, rather than having a judge decide them alone. This protection helps ensure fairness by keeping the decision on the facts in the hands of peers. It also limits how judges can second-guess a jury’s findings of fact on appeal. The other options point to rights found in other amendments (bearing arms is the Second Amendment, protection against self-incrimination is the Fifth, and freedom of the press is the First), not the Seventh.