Abstract
In this article I work a case study: how the jury was socioeconomically formed and how it acted in a particular community - the term of São José del-Rei's town. From the crimes comitted in this region I tried to analyse the actions of its council of jurors during the first decade of operation of this institution in Brazil (1832-1841). From this research I tried to find whether such council frustrated or met the jury expectations in order to improve the way justice operated at that time. I also tried to find out how justice operated, adressing issues that could clarify how the courts worked and thus show the structure found by the juror while working.
Keywords:
Jury; São José del-Rei; process criminal; elite; citizenship