What is the role of the grand jury in criminal cases?

In criminal cases in Michigan, a grand jury is used to decide whether there is enough evidence for an individual to be charged with a crime. The grand jury is composed of 16 to 23 people who are randomly selected to serve on it. The grand jury listens to evidence presented by the prosecutor while the defendant is not present. The prosecutor presents the evidence and the grand jury decides whether there is enough evidence to charge the individual with a crime; if so, the grand jury returns a formal charge or "indictment" against that person. If the grand jury finds that there is not enough evidence for the prosecutor to prove that the person committed the crime, no indictment is issued and the person is not charged. This is known as a "no bill" because no charges will be filed. Additionally, a grand jury can also issue subpoenas to witness to appear before them and testify under oath. They also can issue subpoenas for documents or other evidence. In summary, the role of the grand jury in Michigan is to hear evidence from the prosecutor, determine whether there is enough evidence to charge a person with a crime, and issue indictments or no bills.

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