RULE 38. JURY TRIAL OF RIGHT
(a) Right Preserved. The right of trial by jury as declared by the Constitution of the United States or by the Constitution of the State of North Dakota or as given by a statute of the United States or of the State of North Dakota shall be preserved to the parties inviolate.
(b) Demand. Any party may demand a trial by jury of any issue triable of right by 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 10 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) Size of Jury. If trial by jury is demanded, the jury shall consist of six qualified jurors unless a jury of nine is specifically demanded within the time required by these rules for demanding trial by jury.
(d) Demand--Specifications of Issue. In the demand a party may specify the issues the party wishes so tried; otherwise the party is deemed to have demanded trial by jury of all the issues so triable. If a party has demanded trial by jury for only some of the issues, any other party within 10 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.
(e) 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 waiver of trial by jury is not revoked by an amendment of a pleading asserting only a claim or defense arising out of the conduct, transaction, or occurrence set forth or attempted to be set forth in the original pleading. A demand for trial by jury made as herein provided may not be withdrawn without the consent of the parties.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Rule 38 was amended, effective January 1, 1978; January 1, 1988; March 1, 1990; March 1, 1998; March 1, 2007.
Rule 38 applies to a demand made under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-15-04 for a jury trial in a formal testacy proceeding.
SOURCES: Joint Procedure Committee Minutes of April 27-28, 2006, page 14; September 26-27, 1996, page 20; April 20, 1989, page 2; December 3, 1987, page 11; September 18-19, 1986, page 3; September 26-27, 1985, pages 3-4; November 29-30, 1979, pages 8-9; September 15-16, 1977, pages 3-4, 9-10; June 2-3, 1977, pages 7, 10; Section 28-14-03.1; Rule 38, FRCivP.
STATUTES AFFECTED:
SUPERSEDED: Sections 28-1206, 28-1214, NDRC 1943.
CONSIDERED: N.D.C.C. § 30.1-15-04.
CROSS REFERENCE: Rules 5 (Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers) and 39 (Trial by Jury or by the Court), 48 (Juries of Less than Nine-Majority Verdict), N.D.R.Civ.P..