What is the difference between a grand jury and a trial jury in criminal defense law?

When it comes to criminal defense law in New York, there are two different types of juries: a grand jury and a trial jury. Both types of juries are important in the criminal justice system, but they serve different functions. A grand jury is a group of citizens selected by the court to hear evidence in criminal cases to decide whether or not to formally charge a person with a crime. If the grand jury finds that there is enough evidence that a crime may have been committed by a person, the grand jury will issue an indictment. In New York, grand jury proceedings are secret and the accused person is not present or represented at grand jury proceedings. A trial jury, on the other hand, is a group of citizens selected by the court and the parties involved in a criminal court case. They are responsible for listening to testimony and evidence presented in a court case to determine whether or not the accused person is guilty of a crime. In contrast to a grand jury, the accused person is present and can be represented by an attorney in the trial jury. The trial jury is responsible for deciding the guilt or innocence of the accused person based on the evidence presented. In summary, the difference between a grand jury and a trial jury in criminal defense law is that a grand jury is responsible for deciding whether to formally charge a person with a crime, while a trial jury is responsible for determining the guilt or innocence of the accused person.

Related FAQs

What is the difference between a grand jury and a trial jury in criminal defense law?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts