Trial by referee in the United States

Trial Trial by referee

Introduction to Trial by referee

In law in the U.S., a referee is an attorney authorized by a civil court to act as an officer of the court in the determination of a proceeding or suit referred to the referee. Reference of an issue to a referee may be either voluntary or compulsory; it is most frequently resorted to in actions involving long and complicated accounts, such as bankruptcy actions, and in actions in which privacy and secrecy are considered desirable in the public interest, such as divorce actions. The findings and decision of a referee are submitted in a report which is filed with the court ordering the reference; a trial before a referee is terminated when the referee’s decision is confirmed by that court.

A trial conducted before a referee or a judge sitting alone is identical with a jury trial, except that the opening remarks and summations described above are omitted.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Trial by referee in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Trial by referee