What is the purpose of a summary jury trial?

A summary jury trial is a tool used to facilitate the settlement of disputes by providing a non-binding, abbreviated form of a jury trial. Its primary function is to assist parties in negotiating a settlement by presenting a summarized version of the case to a jury, which then delivers an advisory verdict. This serves as a useful mechanism for the parties to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of their respective positions and to understand how a jury might react to the evidence and arguments if the case were to go to a full trial.

In this context, the summary jury trial encourages parties to engage in settlement discussions by giving them insight into potential outcomes without the finality of a traditional verdict. It can help to break impasses in negotiations and lead to mutually agreeable resolutions, making it an effective tool in civil practice.

The other choices involve concepts that do not align with the purpose of a summary jury trial. Determining guilt or innocence is specific to criminal cases, while providing a final verdict and appealing to a higher court are characteristics of traditional court proceedings, rather than the informal, advisory nature of a summary jury trial.