Grand Jury Meaning

What Is A Grand Jury? Importance of Grand Juries

Understanding the Role in Criminal Cases

A grand jury is a group of citizens who decide whether there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. They are not responsible for finding the person guilty or innocent, but rather for determining if there is enough evidence to move the case forward to trial.

Grand juries are typically made up of 16-23 people who are chosen from voter registration lists or other public records. They are usually required to have some knowledge of the law, but do not need to be lawyers. The term of service for a grand jury is typically six months to a year.

How Grand Juries Work

When a prosecutor presents evidence to a grand jury, the jury will hear the evidence and then decide whether to issue an indictment, which is a formal accusation of a crime. If the grand jury issues an indictment, the case will then move forward to trial. If the grand jury does not issue an indictment, the case will be dismissed.

Grand jury proceedings are normally confidential, and the identities of the jurors are kept secret. This is to protect the jurors from intimidation or retaliation. The proceedings are also closed to the public, except in rare cases. The evidence presented to the grand jury is typically only available to the prosecutor, the defendant, and their attorneys.

Importance of Grand Juries

Grand juries play an important role in the criminal justice system. They help to ensure that people are not charged with crimes without sufficient evidence and are a check on the power of the prosecutor. Grand juries also help to protect the rights of the accused by ensuring that they are not subjected to unnecessary or frivolous prosecutions.