Filing Demand and Paying Fees for Jury. An unlawful detainer case must be set for trial on a date not later than 20 days after the first request to set the case for trial is made (Code Civ.I request a jury trial. To the best of my knowledge, the right to possession of the premises is no longer in issue. If the tenant disagrees with anything in the landlords request, the tenant can file a Counter-Request - for instance, if tenant wants jury trial. Mediation. (1) In unlawful detainer actions, the fees shall be due at least five days before the date set for trial. To request a jury trial, the requesting party must file a document entitled Request for Setting. Defendant files a demand for jury trial. The stepbystep detailed explanation of the Unlawful Detainer eviction process for those who love details. Some defendants' attorneys and eviction defense firms use the demand of a jury trial as leverage to make unreasonable settlement demands.