U.S. Constitution · Article III, Section 2, Clause 3
Criminal Jury Trial Clause
Alerts when a new grade, SI Solution or Think Tank idea cites Art. III, § 2, cl. 3.
Also known as: Criminal Jury Trial Clause
Live in the VFA record
Cited in 1 Constitution Index grade this month.
4 public items cite this provision · 1 in October 2026 (last month: 0)
Citations per week, last 12 weeks
The text
The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.
National Archives transcription (public domain; original spelling and capitalization). archives.gov
SI explainer
An explainer for this provision is in the queue. It appears here once it passes the SI Editorial Standard’s automated checks. The text, founding-era sources and live citations below are complete.
In the founders’ words
- “Does the Constitution make provision for such a trial? I think not; for in a criminal process, a person shall not have a right to insist on a trial in the vicinity where the fact was committed, where a jury of the peers would, from their local situation, have an opportunity to form a judgment of the character of the person charged with the crime, and also to judge of the credibility of the witnesses.” Abraham Holmes, Debate in the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, January 30, 1788 (Elliot 2:109-14) (1788-01-30)
Public-domain primary sources, quoted word for word and checked against the linked text.
Leading Supreme Court cases
- Reid v. Covert, 354 U.S. 1 (1957)
Cited in the VFA record
“Where this provision is cited”
SI Solutions (3)
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Venue for §1519 lies exclusively where the falsification occurred, not where the investigation is located.
2026-06-17
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Reversed: Venue for a §1519 violation lies only in the district where the falsification occurred.
2026-06-17
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FCC forfeiture orders under §503(b)(4) that determine liability and assess a penalty must be tried before a jury in federal court, or the Commission must restructure its proceedings to provide a jury
2026-06-06
grades (1)
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Executive Order 14367: Designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction
2026-10-08 · Grade B (Mostly sound)
Roll-call votes are listed when the measure voted on has a current Constitution Index grade citing this provision. Counts include only published items.
Cite this page
Values for America Constitution Explorer, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution (text: National Archives transcription, public domain), Article III, Section 2, Clause 3, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution/article-3/section-2/clause-3
Data: this provision as JSON.