A jury awards $50,000 in a breach-of-contract lawsuit; the judge refuses to reexamine the facts found by the jury. Which right is shown?
- The Sixth Amendment jury-trial right, because all disputes involving money must be tried to a jury and cannot be decided by judges.
- The Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial in certain civil cases and limits on reexamining jury fact-finding under common-law rules. (correct answer)
- The Eighth Amendment, because civil damages are unconstitutional unless a jury finds punishment is not cruel, unusual, or excessive.
- The Fourth Amendment, because civil juries exist primarily to review unlawful searches and determine whether police had probable cause.
- The Tenth Amendment, because civil jury trials are exclusively a state matter and the federal Constitution provides no civil jury protections.
Explanation: This AP US Government and Politics question on the Bill of Rights involves civil trial protections. The Seventh Amendment preserves the right to a jury trial in common-law civil suits over $20 and prevents judges from reexamining jury facts except under common-law rules. Choice B is correct, as the judge's refusal to reexamine the award respects this amendment's limits on judicial interference. Choice A distracts by misapplying the Sixth Amendment, which is for criminal jury trials, not civil ones. Link Seventh to civil juries, distinguishing from Sixth's criminal focus or Eighth's punishments. This aids in recognizing the Seventh's role in maintaining jury authority in civil disputes.