Daily AncestorPresentment
A presentment is a written notice by a grand jury, on its own knowledge, that an offense was committed, without the prosecutor first bringing a charge.
An indictment starts with a bill laid before the grand jury by the government. A presentment starts with the jurors themselves, who report an offense from their own knowledge or observation and name the person they believe committed it.
In early English practice, juries of presentment heard inquests to decide whether someone should be presented for a crime. Look for presentments in the grand jury entries of county court minutes.
As seen in a recordGrand jury presentments in county court minutes, 1700s or 1800s
We present Abner Lusk for profane swearing in the presence of the court
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Presentment." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/presentment. Last checked 2026-10-12.