If a jury is demanded by either party, the proceedings shall be in all respects as in other cases. If the jury shall find that the complaint is true, they shall render a general verdict of guilty against the defendant; if not true, then a general verdict of not guilty; if true in part, then a verdict setting forth the facts they find true.
§ 25-21,227.Forcible entry and detainer; trial by jury; verdict.
Article 21: Special Proceedings and Actions · Last amended 1972 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceWhen either party demands a jury in an eviction case, the trial follows ordinary civil procedure, and the jury returns a verdict of guilty against the defendant if the complaint is true, not guilty if it is not, or a verdict stating the facts found true if the complaint holds up only in part.
Full Text of § 25-21,227
Source
Laws 1929, c. 82, § 126, p. 311; C.S.1929, § 22-1210; R.S.1943, § 26-1,127; Laws 1972, LB 1032, § 77; R.S.1943, (1985), § 24-577.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-21,227 covers eviction trials where either the landlord or the tenant demands a jury. Once demanded, the proceedings run in all respects as they would in any other civil case, rather than following some special abbreviated jury procedure unique to eviction cases.
The verdict itself uses distinct language tied to the eviction context. A jury that finds the complaint true returns a general verdict of guilty against the defendant. A jury that finds it not true returns a general verdict of not guilty. And a jury that finds the complaint true only in part returns a verdict setting out the specific facts it found true, rather than a flat guilty-or-not-guilty answer.
That last option feeds directly into section 25-21,228, which tells the court how to turn a partial jury verdict into an actual judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can either the landlord or the tenant demand a jury trial in an eviction case?
Yes. Section 25-21,227 applies whenever a jury is demanded by either party.
What verdict language does the jury use in an eviction case?
Guilty against the defendant if the complaint is found true, not guilty if it is found untrue, or a verdict setting forth the facts found true if the complaint is true only in part.
Does an eviction jury trial otherwise differ from other civil jury trials?
No. The statute states the proceedings are to be in all respects as in other cases once a jury is demanded.
What happens after the jury returns a partial verdict?
The court enters that verdict on the record and renders judgment consistent with the facts the jury found true, as described in section 25-21,228.
Where do the procedural details of an eviction jury trial come from, since this section does not spell them out?
They come from Nebraska’s general civil trial procedure, which section 25-21,227 incorporates by directing that the proceedings run as in other civil cases.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: eviction jury trial nebraskademanding a jury in an eviction caseguilty verdict forcible detainerjury verdict eviction nebraskapartial jury verdict eviction case