A grand jury is a group of citizens designated by the court to investigate whether there is sufficient evidence to file charges and bring a criminal case before the court Grand juries are used in federal criminal cases and in some states that have grand jury statutes.
1. Investigating Police Abuse: Grand juries have been used by the public to investigate high profile cases of police abuse or misconduct, such as the case of Eric Garner. In this instance, a grand jury was convened to investigate whether the police officers who were involved in Garner’s death should be indicted. Ultimately, the grand jury declined to indict the officers and this sparked a wave of public protests.
2. Investigating White Collar Crimes: Grand juries are also regularly used for investigating white collar crimes such as securities fraud, money laundering, and insider trading. These kinds of white collar crimes require a thorough investigation to uncover any evidence of criminal activity and grand juries are often used by prosecutors to gather testimony from potential witnesses.
3. Analyzing Evidence in Criminal Cases: Grand juries are frequently used in criminal cases to analyze evidence, such as police reports, witness statements, and surveillance video. The grand jury can use this evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to move forward with a criminal case.
4. Investigating Political Corruption: Grand juries have been used by the public to investigate political corruption, such as bribery and embezzlement. In these cases, the grand jury will investigate politicians, government agencies, and other public officials to determine whether any criminal offenses have been committed.
5. Investigating Organized Crime: Grand juries are often used by the public to investigate organized crime, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and prostitution rings. In these cases, the grand jury may be tasked with interviewing potential witnesses, examining evidence, and ultimately determining whether there is sufficient evidence to move forward with a criminal case.