petit jury
Verdict-rendering panel
A petit jury is the standard trial jury that determines guilt or innocence in criminal cases or liability in civil cases.
Distinguished from a grand jury, which only decides whether to indict, a petit jury hears evidence and renders a verdict.
The term comes from French for "small," reflecting its smaller size—typically twelve members.
The petit jury deliberated for three days before acquitting the defendant.
- voir direPretrial juror examination
- criminal trialCourt case for crimes
- civil caseNon-criminal legal proceeding
- empanelmentFormal jury assembly
- venireSummoned potential jurors
courtroom · courtroom drama · peremptory challenge · guilty · fact-finder · peer judgment · deliberation · beyond reasonable doubt · unanimous verdict · law · community participation · democratic process · summons · civic engagement · witness · foreman · duty · twelve
petit juryjudge
One who decides
bench trial · magistrate · judicial officer · panel of judges · arbiter
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