petty jury

American  

noun

1. (in a civil or criminal proceeding) a jury, usually of 12 persons, impaneled to determine the facts and render a verdict pursuant to the court's instructions on the law.

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petty jury British  

noun

1. a variant spelling of petit jury

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Other Word Forms

• petty juror
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of petty jury

First recorded in 1680–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petty jury

The petty jury simply moved that forward - a group of 12 people were now being asked to determine guilt.

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2019

But on 26 January, 1219, King Henry III issued an edict - the trial by petty jury was born in England.

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2019

When this petty jury could not agree, the decision of a majority was sometimes accepted.

From The Leading Facts of English History by D. H. (David Henry) Montgomery

On the trial before the petty jury the procedure and the rules of evidence differ in very few points from an ordinary civil case.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" by Various

A writ was issued for the return of a petty jury the following day.

From History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth. Vol. II. by James Anthony Froude

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