The Role of a Grand Jury: Investigating Criminal Cases
Understanding the Grand Jury
What is a Grand Jury?
A grand jury is a legal body consisting of laypeople who are selected to review evidence presented by prosecutors and determine whether there is probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed.
Functions of a Grand Jury
The primary function of a grand jury is to decide whether to indict a person for a crime. An indictment is a formal accusation that alleges that a person has committed a specific crime. If the grand jury decides to indict the person, the case will proceed to a trial.
Investigatory Role
In addition to its role in issuing indictments, a grand jury also has the authority to conduct investigations. This includes subpoenaing witnesses and documents, and hearing testimony from witnesses.
Protection from Unfair Prosecution
The grand jury process is designed to protect people from being unfairly prosecuted. By having a group of citizens review the evidence, the system helps to ensure that only those who have a strong case against them are brought to trial.
Accusatory and Investigatory Functions
Although grand juries are sometimes described as performing accusatory and investigatory functions, in practice, they are primarily focused on investigating cases and determining whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed with an indictment.
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