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

The role of the grand jury in criminal cases in North Carolina is to decide if there is enough evidence for a case to move forward. A grand jury consists of 8 to 23 people who will listen to evidence that was presented by the district attorney before making their decision. When a grand jury is called, the district attorney will present evidence from their investigation related to the case, which could include witness testimony, video evidence, or statements from police officers. The grand jury will then decide if the evidence is strong enough to continue with a trial or if a trial is even necessary. The grand jury is not responsible for making any guilty or not guilty verdicts or deciding on punishments. They will only decide if there is enough evidence to move forward with a criminal trial. If the grand jury decides there is enough evidence, the defendant will be formally charged with a crime and the case will move on to be heard in a criminal court. Ultimately, the grand jury is an important part of the criminal justice system in North Carolina as they are responsible for deciding which criminal cases are serious enough to be taken to trial. This helps to keep the criminal justice system running efficiently and ensures that people are only held accountable for serious crimes.

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