petty juror
- noun
- /ˈpɛti ˈdʒʊrər/
- Formal
:
jurado ordinario
- The court called twelve petty jurors to decide on the defendant’s innocence or guilt.
Examples
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The duty of a petty juror is to impartially consider the facts of the case.
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Each petty juror listened carefully to the evidence throughout the trial.
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The petty juror listened carefully to the evidence presented.
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A petty juror must remain impartial throughout the trial.
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Each petty juror is responsible for weighing the evidence presented during the trial.
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During the jury selection process, the judge asked if any petty juror had a conflict of interest.
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The petty juror took notes diligently to remember key points of the testimony.
Synonyms
620
3.7
A person on a jury who listens to evidence and decides the facts
A person on a jury who listens during a trial and helps decide the verdict
Antonyms
- Formal
259
6.2
A group of citizens who decide if there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is formed from 'petty' (small/trivial) + 'juror' (jury member), so there is a visible compositional link, but the legal sense here derives from an archaic/French sense of 'petty/petit' meaning an ordinary or small jury rather than 'trivial'. A B1 learner who knows the words would likely be uncertain or misled by the common meaning 'trivial', so the expression is only partially predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Petty juror comes from an old use of petty meaning 'small' or 'little', used to name the ordinary group of jurors who met to decide a case. So a petty juror is simply a regular member of the trial jury who listens to the evidence and helps decide guilt or innocence.