empanel
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to enter on a list (names of persons to be summoned for jury service)
-
to select (a jury) from the names on such a list
Other Word Forms
Explanation
To empanel is to select a group of people for a jury. If you're empaneled, you're part of a jury. Congratulations. Jury duty is one of those things all adults have to do as members of a democracy — show up in court to possibly be a member of a jury in a trial. When you're added to a jury, you're empaneled. This is an old-fashioned word that comes from an older sense of panel, which was the paper on which names of jury members were written. Lots of people report for jury duty but aren't empaneled, meaning they aren't selected.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The campaign’s motion comes as a Wake County district attorney prepares to empanel a grand jury in the case.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2022
He said he could see no good reason to empanel a jury.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2022
New York Attorney General Letitia James will empanel a grand jury in her investigation into the death Daniel Prude in Rochester, she announced Saturday.
From Fox News ● Sep. 5, 2020
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 37-year-old Joshua Keadle’s attorney argued in court Friday that pretrial publicity and local conditions make it impossible to empanel a fair jury.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 22, 2019
According to Hickock, the “hostile atmosphere” in Garden City had made it impossible to empanel an unbiased jury, and therefore a change of venue should have been granted.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
The prime specimen here is the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which was empaneled under former California Treasurer Phil Angelides to report on the financial meltdown of 2007-2008.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
In a new development, the panel provided emails indicating the Department of Justice had empaneled a grand jury to look into potential crimes related to the origin of COVID-19.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 4, 2024
That would allow plenty of time for a jury to be empaneled, to hear evidence, and deliver its verdict months before people start voting for president.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2024
The department cleared the officers, and an inquest jury — empaneled last year under the new policies advocated by Butts’ family — found the shooting justified.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
He empaneled recognitors, made arrests, and enforced the decisions of the royal courts.
From Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George III by S. A. Reilly
The first coroner’s inquest under King County’s newly revamped process to review police-caused deaths opened Tuesday morning with the empaneling of an eight-person jury and instructions from the administrator overseeing the proceedings.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
Further, although the supervisory powers of the empaneling judge are limited, grand juries depend on court subpoenas to compel the appearance of witnesses and the production of material evidence.
From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2018
In a sign that empaneling an impartial jury could be difficult, most of the 28 prospective panel members raised their hands when the judge asked whether they were familiar with what occurred during the rally.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 26, 2018
In its ruling, issued on Wednesday, the appeals court said that the judge had violated state law by empaneling an anonymous jury and ordered that the defendants be granted a new trial.
From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2017
Care is exercised in empaneling men of repute, and, in the present instance, several prominent farmers were debarred from service because their children would be called as witnesses.
From The Revellers by Louis Tracy
“From the moment you were empanelled over a month ago the burden was going to be greater than most.”
From The Guardian ● Feb. 26, 2019
There is also the question of whether a jury would have to be empanelled to hear and decide Malvo’s sentencing again.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2017
"She has been provisionally suspended from competition awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary panel that will be empanelled to hear this case."
From Reuters ● Jun. 18, 2013
Citing the perceived risk of reprisals for a guilty verdict, Leinenweber in March ordered the jury empanelled anonymously.
From BusinessWeek ● May 18, 2011
This, no doubt, may be dispensed with, and so might the whole ceremony of the trial, since sentence was already pronounced at the Castle before the jury were empanelled.
From Speeches from the Dock, Part I by Various
The jury reached its decision after two days of deliberations in a trial that began with their empanelling on May 16.
From BusinessWeek ● Jun. 10, 2011
The work of empanelling a jury commenced, and when it was completed Mr. Walters, K.C., opened the case for the prosecution.
From The Hampstead Mystery by John R. (John Reay) Watson
No empanelling of juries to inquire into theft, arson, murder, slander, and black-mail.
From The Abominations of Modern Society by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage
"Without empanelling a jury we have submitted the volume to a duly-qualified juror, and are therefore competent to pronounce it a very practical, satisfactory, and useful work."
From Notable Women Authors of the Day Biographical Sketches by Helen C. Black
The matter was prolonged into September—there was difficulty in empanelling an unbiassed jury because of the moral sentiments involved.
From The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott (Francis Scott) Fitzgerald
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