Opinion ID: 1890336
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: did the retention of this cause by the chancery court deny the defendants of their constitutionally protected right to a trial by jury?

Text: ¶ 17. The defendants argue that they have been denied their right to a jury trial by the Chancellor's failure to transfer the cause to the circuit court. Additionally, the plaintiff's complaint even demands a jury trial. The defendants argue that since the chancery court is not required to empanel a jury, they may be denied their right to a jury trial of which they would be assured in circuit court. The plaintiff does not address this issue in his brief. ¶ 18. Miss. Const. art. 3, § 31 (1890) provides, in pertinent part, that the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate. The defendants argue that the only way they can be assured of a jury trial is to be under the jurisdiction of the circuit court. This is true. In chancery court, the right to a jury trial is only discretionary. ¶ 19. In 1977, this Court in McLean v. Green, 352 So.2d 1312 (Miss.1977), addressed the right to a jury trial in chancery court. Id. at 1314. This Court found that: In Chancery Court, with some few exceptions, the right to a jury is purely within the discretion of the Chancellor, and if one is empaneled, its findings are totally advisory. Our constitution, Mississippi Constitution, § 31 (1890), provides that the right to trial by jury shall remain inviolative, but in this case, the chancellor's assumption of jurisdiction of this common law action has deprived the defendant of this right.... In Talbot & Higgins Lbr. Co. v. McLeod Lbr. Co., [147 Miss. 186, 113 So. 433 (1927)], we held that where the Chancellor erroneously assumed jurisdiction of a common law action, the right to trial by jury had been taken away. Id. Again in 1999, this Court in Southern Leisure, 742 So.2d 1088, found the Chancellor erred by failing to transfer a cause to circuit court for a jury trial. This Court quoted McLean, 352 So.2d 1312, when finding that the defendant's right to a jury trial could not be guaranteed in chancery court since the right to a jury trial in chancery court is only discretionary. Southern Leisure, 742 So.2d at 1090. [1] ¶ 20. By failing to transfer the cause to circuit court, the Chancellor denied the defendants their right to a jury trial.