a jury, at common law, of 12 to 23 persons, designated to inquire into alleged violations of the law in order to ascertain whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant trial.
Origin
1490-1500; < Anglo-Frenchgraund juree
Examples from the web for grand jury
The investigation had lasted only a few weeks and was never put before a grand jury-or reported in the newspapers.
She is being held without bail while prosecutors prepare to bring her case before a grand jury.
No, not unless you want to be indicted by a grand jury or involved in a large civil lawsuit.
Earlier, to a grand jury, he reportedly said that upon seeing the incident he left the building and called his father.
No criminal charges have been filed, but the district is scrambling to respond to two sweeping grand jury subpoenas.
One of the conspirators, called before a grand jury, informed others that he would have to tell the truth.
It is a media communications device, but its main target is the grand jury.
They must show evidence to a judge and a grand jury, who must agree that it is sufficient to proceed.
The grand jury indictment is graphic and troubling in its scope and detail.
He was immediately suspended from his job and, four months later, was indicted by a grand jury.
British Dictionary definitions for grand jury
grand jury
noun
1.
(law) (esp in the US and, now rarely, in Canada) a jury of between 12 and 23 persons summoned to inquire into accusations of crime and ascertain whether the evidence is adequate to found an indictment. Abolished in Britain in 1948 Compare petit jury
grand jury in Culture
grand jury definition
A jury that decides whether the evidence warrants bringing an accused person to trial. Once indicted (seeindictment) by a grand jury, a person must stand trial.