Item — HN Reader

To use the speeding ticket analogy, this is the equivalent of just paying the fine. The government can't sue you over an unpaid speeding ticket if you pay the ticket.

The reason why this might work is the Seventh Amendment, which guarantees a jury in federal lawsuits so long as the amount disputed is over $20.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh_Amendment_to_the_Unite...

> In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved

If Google says "yep, we're not disputing that we owe the federal govt $1 million, here's a cheque for that amount", their argument is that the "value in controversy" is now $0. Since $0 is less than $20, that clause doesn't apply.

I'd like to hear what an actual lawyer has to say on the odds this'll work, though.

4 comments

I wondered about that $20 amount, and sure enough, from that page:

The amendment additionally guarantees a minimum of six members for a jury in a civil trial. The amendment's twenty-dollar threshold has not been the subject of much scholarly or judicial writing and still remains applicable despite the inflation that has occurred since the late 18th century ($20 in 1800 is equivalent to $359 in 2023

The $20+ rule is about guaranteeing a jury trial. If one of the parties and the judge go for it it can still happen right?

No, it's about a party's right to demand a jury trial.

> To use the speeding ticket analogy, this is the equivalent of just paying the fine.

It’s just not. You don’t get to set your own damages amount in advance of a trial and you certainly don’t get dictate random conditions on modifying legal process to government when you do.

This would be just if it was a Finnish speeding ticket fine.