In the Superior Court a docket shall be kept of all cases. In such docket immediately following the names of the parties and their attorneys in all jury cases shall be entered the word “jury”. The following-named classes of cases shall be entered in the docket as jury cases upon the written request of either party made to the clerk within thirty days after the return day: Appeals from probate involving the validity of a will or paper purporting to be such, appeals from the actions of commissioners on insolvent estates, and, except as hereinafter provided, civil actions involving such an issue of fact as, prior to January 1, 1880, would not present a question properly cognizable in equity, except that there shall be no right to trial by jury in civil actions in which the amount, legal interest or property in demand does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars or in a summary process case. When, in any of the above-named cases an issue of fact is joined, the case may, within ten days after such issue of fact is joined, be entered in the docket as a jury case upon the request of either party made to the clerk; and any such case may at any time be entered in the docket as a jury case by the clerk, upon written consent of all parties or by order of court. All issues of fact in any such case shall be tried by the jury, provided the issues agreed by the parties to be tried by the court may be so tried. All cases not entered in the docket as jury cases under the foregoing provisions, including actions in which an account is demanded and judgment rendered that the defendant shall account, writs of habeas corpus and ne exeat, complaints for dissolution of marriage and all other special statutory proceedings which, prior to January 1, 1880, were not triable by jury, shall be entered on the docket as court cases, and shall, with all issues of law and issues of fact, other than those hereinbefore specified, which may be joined in actions entered on the docket as jury cases, be disposed of as court cases.

(1949 Rev., S. 7936; 1953, S. 3178d; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 115; 1967, P.A. 33, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 40, S. 5; P.A. 74-183, S. 88, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 132, 681; P.A. 82-160, S. 104.)

History: 1959 act substituted circuit court for city court, latter having been abolished; 1967 act added language “in any civil case triable by jury under the provisions of section 51-266”, allowing entrance of such cases in docket as jury cases when an issue of fact is joined; 1971 act deleted references to presumption that requests for jury trial are requests for six-person jury unless jury of twelve is specifically requested; P.A. 74-183 removed circuit court from purview of section, reflecting transfer of its functions to court of common pleas and clarified applicability re civil actions by adding exception specifying that there is no right to jury trial where amount, legal interest or property in demand is $250 or less or in summary process cases and by deleting reference to civil cases triable by jury under Sec. 51-266, effective December 31, 1974; P.A. 76-436 removed court of common pleas from purview of section, reflecting transfer of all trial jurisdiction to superior court, and substituted “dissolution of marriage” for “divorce” where appearing, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 82-160 deleted from the list of court cases “actions wherein the plaintiff sues for a debt due by book to balance books accounts” and “prohibition”, and made minor technical changes.