petit jury

American  

[pet-ee] / ˈpɛt i /

noun

Law.

1. petty jury.

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petit jury British  

noun

1. Also called: petty jury.  a jury of 12 persons empanelled to determine the facts of a case and decide the issue pursuant to the direction of the court on points of law Compare grand jury

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Other Word Forms

• petit juror
  noun

Etymology

Origin of petit jury

First recorded in 1490–1500

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petit jury

The trial jury is often called the petit jury.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2016

The jurors - seven men, five women; nine whites, three blacks - were chosen from the circuit court petit jury pool in May.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 17, 2015

In later years, the accusations of these original grand juries were submitted to a petit jury, which was often locked up without food or water until it reached a verdict.

From Time Magazine Archive

The petit jury was composed of twelve men from each of the counties of Fayette, Washington, Allegheny, and Northumberland, but none from Westmoreland.

From Albert Gallatin American Statesmen Series, Vol. XIII by Stevens, John Austin

It is the duty of the petit jury to hear the evidence in the case it is to try, and to give a verdict in accordance with that evidence.

From Civil Government of Virginia by Fox, William Fayette