Grand Jury Research Paper

A jury is a person who is un-qualified and not paid who is selected at random to participate in the court hearing. To be

A panel of jurors must be selected to appear before the court (usually about 50 or so persons strong) from which the array (final jury number) is to be selected.

In considering the effectiveness of the jury system, it is first necessary to understand the roles of juries. Primarily, a jury is a body of legally unqualified citizens who agree on a verdict based on evidence

The above statement tells that no one can be put on trial for a serious crime, unless a grand jury decide first that there is enough proof or evidence, if there is enough evidence produced then an indictment is issued, which means that the person who is charged with the crime will be put on trial for the crime.

Every day people are convicted of crimes or arrested for other reasons. Once they are convicted they are summoned to court, this begins the jury process. Citizens are randomly chosen to serve on jury duty. The citizens on the jury will use the jury system to determine if the person being accused is guilty or innocent. Trials can become very long or they can be short it just depends on the topic and how long it takes to decide on what the consequences will be. The jury system is the main trial and the main decision of whether or not someone is right or wrong.

Therefore people whose occupation involves around the government and legal system such as the governor, judge/magistrate, lawyer, police officer or prison officer cannot participate in jury service. Also people who has bee convicted of a serious crime or has been sentenced to prison are not allowed to participate. People who cannot read speak or understand English also cannot take part. If a person has some kind of connection with the person accused, they must step down. If a person participated in a jury service during the last 12 months, they will not be able to participate again for 3 years.

In America’s justice system, a grand jury is a group of citizens called to decide whether probable cause exists to believe that a suspect committed the crime with which she or he has been charged (Gaines G-4). In the Central District of California, prospective jurors who report and are not excused or postponed, the Jury Clerk will use a computer program to randomly select 23 members and ten alternates for each grand jury. A grand jury designated “investigatory” meet for a 12-month term, while a grand jury designated “accusatory” meets for a 6-month term. A grand jury has 23 members and meets once a week, always on the same weekday. Grand juries do not meet on weekends or Mondays. The average workday is 5 hours. Absences for medical appointments, vacations, graduations, etc. may be accommodated, but 16 members must be present for the grand jury to conduct business. The grand jury serves the United States District Court, Central District of California. In contrast, a trial jury is asked to reach a verdict based on the evidence presented during a civil or criminal trial; a grand jury meets in secret to consider whether there is sufficient evidence to justify a formal criminal charge against someone. That formal criminal charge is called an “indictment” (Central).

In fact, according to http://www.ducksters.com/ “A trial by jury is when a number of people hear the case and decide together if the defendant is guilty. The amendment doesn't say exactly how many people need to be on a jury. The Supreme Court, however, has said that there needs to be at least six people on a jury. Most juries today in the United States have twelve members.” This means that the jury is just a bunch of random people that have heard about the case that hear what he has to say and decide if he’s guilty.

A Grand Jury consists of 12 to 23 members and since it was derived from common-law, Grand Jury clause is interpreted from common-law itself. Grand Juries giving indictment in any kind of criminal cases formed with a jury of peers and its proceedings are operated in private and closed environment. These Juries are also provided specific instructions regarding any kind of law by the judge. The Grand Juries have other rights like many constitutional restriction and constraints which apply in a court, do not apply during grand jury proceedings. Exclusionary rule is an example which does not apply when specific evidences are presented to a grand jury.

A jury trial is made up of twelve citizens of the community who have been randomly selected to serve on the jury. The jury had been given the authority to judge the facts of the case, and them apply the law that was given by the judge to those facts, and render a verdict of guilty or not guilty.

Rule Six of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure governs federal grand jury proceedings. Rule Six provides that the federal grand jury must consist of 16 to 23 members and that 12 members must concur in order for an indictment to be issued. The federal grand jury is instructed to return an indictment (true bill) if probable cause standard has been met or no true bill if probable cause standards have not been met (Fed. R. Crim. P. 6).

First, we are going to discuss the grand jury. This process is probably the most commonly known. It can be seen in shows like Law and Order and CSI when it comes to charging people with a felony. By definition, a grand jury is “a panel of persons chosen through strict court procedures to review criminal investigations and… to conduct criminal investigations” (Garland, N. 2012, 21p). This

The responsibility of the jury in criminal and civil cases is to “determine questions of fact” and apply law as set out by the judge and then, with these facts and evidence, come up with a verdict.

The jury sit in a box to one side of the judge. One member is selected as a foreman, this means he or she speaks for the jury.

Also prior to the trial, a jury of 6 to 12 people must be selected. Each jury member must go through a screening process to ensure that they have no connection to the trial, or any preconceived opinion of it that could keep them from being impartial to either side. A juror can be removed if they have any connection to the trial, and the defense