Nebraska Amendment 6, Jury Verdict Guidelines Measure (1896)
| Nebraska Amendment 6 | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Election date |
|
| Topic Jury rules and State legislative authority |
|
| Status |
|
| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Nebraska Amendment 6 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Nebraska on November 3, 1896. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported amending the state constitution to require a five-sixths vote of a jury to convict in civil cases and authorize the legislature to provide trials by juries of less than 12 men in inferior courts. |
A "no" vote opposed amending the state constitution to require a five-sixths vote of a jury to convict in civil cases and authorize the legislature to provide trials by juries of less than 12 men in inferior courts. |
Election results
|
Nebraska Amendment 6 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 73,573 | 65.35% | ||
|
|
39,006 | 34.65% | ||
Although this measure gathered more "yes" votes, a majority of the total 217,763 votes in the entire election (108,882 votes) were needed for the measure to be approved.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Amendment 6 was as follows:
| “ | A joint resolution proposing to amend section six (6) of article one (1) of the Constitution of the State of Nebraska, relating to trial by jury. Be it resolved and enacted by the Legislature of the State of Nebraska: Section 6. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate, but the legislature may provide that in civil actions five-sixths of the jury may render a verdict, and the legislature may also authorize trial by a jury of a less number than twelve men, in courts inferior to the district court. Approved March 29, A. D., 1895. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
A 60% supermajority vote is required during one legislative session for the Nebraska State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 30 votes in the unicameral legislature, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. A simple majority vote of all voters in the election was required to approve the amendment.
See also
External links
Footnotes
 |
State of Nebraska Lincoln (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
