petit juror
- noun
- /ˈpɛtɪ ˈdʒʊrər/
- Formal
:
jurado menor
- The Ballard decision intentionally excluded women from the panel of grand and petit jurors in the Southern District of California where the trial occurred.
Examples
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The trial was decided by the verdict of the petit jurors after days of deliberation.
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As a petit juror, she had a significant role in deciding the outcome of the court case.
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During the selection process, potential petit jurors were asked about their qualifications and possible biases.
Synonyms
620
3.7
A person on a jury who listens to evidence and decides the facts
A member of a jury who listens to the evidence and decides what happened
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'petit' literally means 'small' and 'juror' is a member of a jury, the phrase denotes a specific legal role (a member of a trial or 'petit' jury as opposed to a grand jury), which is a specialized convention. Learners who know the constituents may infer a relation (a juror of a 'small' jury) but the exact legal sense and usage are not fully predictable at B1 level, so the link is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Petit juror comes from French: petit means 'small' and juror is a person on a jury. The name pointed to the smaller, decision-making group at a trial, so a petit juror today is a member of the trial jury who helps decide the verdict.