Opinion ID: 703157
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Discharge of Jury

Text: 30 Following dismissal of the Rehabilitation Act claim, the district court discharged the jury, over Rivera's timely objection, and assumed the role of factfinder, on the mistaken theory that Rivera had no right to jury trial on her commonwealth claims. Puerto Rico litigants do have a right to jury trial on their commonwealth claims in federal district court where the court decides, as it did here, to exercise its supplemental jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. Secs. 119, 451; Fed.R.Civ.P. 1 & 38(a). The fact that the Puerto Rico constitution confers no parallel right to jury trial on such claims is immaterial. Thus, the three commonwealth claims must be reinstated and remanded for jury trial as well. 31 Although in the normal course we would proceed no further, the district court eventually dismissed several other claims on legal grounds presently challenged on appeal. The aborted jury trial in this case lasted several weeks, and a retrial necessarily would entail a further expenditure of considerable judicial resources. In the interests of judicial economy, therefore, we briefly discuss the dispositive legal issues likely to recur on remand. 6