grand jury

noun

1. a jury, at common law, of 12 to 23 persons, designated to inquire into alleged violations of the law in order to ascertain whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant trial.

grand jury

noun

1. law (esp in the US and, now rarely, in Canada) a jury of between 12 and 23 persons summoned to inquire into accusations of crime and ascertain whether the evidence is adequate to found an indictment. Abolished in Britain in 1948 Compare petit jury

grand jury

1. A jury that decides whether the evidence warrants bringing an accused person to trial. Once indicted (see indictment) by a grand jury, a person must stand trial.

Word History and Origins

Origin of grand jury¹

First recorded in 1490–1500, grand jury is from Anglo-French graund juree

Example Sentences

It comes after the pair were indicted on October 2 by a US federal grand jury in Florida on charges of mail and wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy, according to court documents.

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A grand jury was investigating Synapse and some of the fees paid to Evolve, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.

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A federal grand jury in New York indicted the quintet on Tuesday, each on a single felony count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death, according to court documents filed in the U.S.

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The indictment named 13 witnesses who testified before the criminal grand jury, including a city council member, the city’s economic development director, a former council member and a former city manager.

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Earlier this year, a Times investigation found Essayli’s prosecutors have failed to convince grand juries to secure indictments in a number of protest-related cases.

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