Rule 3216 Trial without jury

When an interpleader case goes to trial, the judge decides it alone, without a jury.

An interpleader is a situation where someone (like a bank or insurance company) holds money or property that two or more people are fighting over. Instead of picking sides, the holder asks the court to sort it out. When that case goes to trial, it follows the same rules as other non-jury trials in Pennsylvania, found in Rule 1038.

Rule 1038 covers how a judge-only trial runs, including how the judge handles evidence and reaches a decision. If you are part of an interpleader case, you should know that your case will be decided by a judge, not a group of jurors.