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

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

What are the differences between a grand jury and a petit jury?

From Studies in Civics by McCleary, J. T. (James Thompson)

The jury by which issues of fact are tried, as distinguished from a grand jury, is called a petty or petit jury.

From The Government Class Book Designed for the Instruction of Youth in the Principles of Constitutional Government and the Rights and Duties of Citizens. by Young, Andrew W.