petit jury

[pet-ee]

noun

Law.

1. petty jury.

petit jury

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

Other Word Forms

• petit juror noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of petit jury¹

First recorded in 1490–1500

Example Sentences

The rules of grand juries are far different from those governing petit juries — the ones that determine guilt or innocence.

From New York Times

“Without any evidence — without any factual foundation whatsoever — defendants have chosen to malign one of this country’s most sacred civic institutions, the impartially selected petit jury,” she said.

From Seattle Times

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

From Washington Times

The judge will ask very few questions, unlike when selecting a petit jury, when the judge and lawyers ask many questions. 

From MSNBC

Most people can understand the basic adversarial nature of a public trial decided by what is formally called a petit jury.

From Los Angeles Times