Nisi prius
Black's Law Dictionary · Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
Black's Law Dictionary
The nisi prius courts are such as are held for the trial of issues of fact before a jury and one presiding judge. In America the phrase is familiarly used to denote the forum (whatever may be its statutory name) in which the cause was tried to a jury, as distinguished from the appellate court.
See 3 BI. Comm. 58.