Petit means small. A petit jury decides the outcome of a criminal trial or of a civil trial in which monetary damages are sought. In New Jersey, juries in criminal trials consist of 12 jurors, while juries in civil trials consist of six jurors. People also are summoned to serve on grand juries. A grand jury decides whether there is enough evidence for a person to be brought to trial for a crime.
Most criminal cases begin with a decision by a grand jury to indict a defendant.
An indictment is an official, written accusation charging someone with a crime. An indictment is not proof of a crime. Grand juries consist of 23 people who typically meet once a week for 16 weeks. Grand juries are operated by prosecutors, who decide what evidence to present to the grand jury. Unlike criminal or civil trials, grand jury proceedings are not open to the public.