: a jury of 12 persons impaneled to try and to decide finally upon the facts at issue in causes for trial in a court
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebGrand juries decide if there's enough evidence to charge someone with a crime, while a petit jury decides a verdict at the end of a trial by determining if a person should be convicted of a crime. Tessa Duvall, The Courier-Journal, 23 Sep. 2020
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Legal Definition
petit jury
noun
: a jury of twelve persons that is impaneled to try and to decide the facts at issue in a trial compare grand jury