Many local juries tended to favor local litigants in civil cases. They began “refusing to indict the leaders of the Stamp Act (1765) and refusing to bring libel charges against the editors of the Boston Gazette (1765)” (San Mateo County). Many feared that this favoritism threatened interstate and international commerce. When the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1787, it explicitly protected the right to a jury trial in criminal cases, but made no mention of civil cases. This didn't mean they couldn't provide for a jury trial in some cases, just that it wasn't required. This became a major point of controversy during the ratification of the Constitution. Finally, the Bill of Rights “guarantees the right to a jury in all criminal cases and in all civil suits exceeding twenty dollars.” Furthermore, each state's constitution guarantees a trial by jury” (Evolution of the American