What is a federal grand jury?

A federal grand jury is a group of people, typically around 16–23 citizens, that are chosen to listen to the evidence of a crime that has been alleged against someone in federal court. The grand jury is not there to determine guilt or innocence, but rather to decide whether there is enough evidence to cause a person to stand trial on the charges. They evaluate all of the evidence presented, including hearing both sides of the story and questioning witnesses, to decide if there is enough evidence to go forward. In California, federal grand juries are used to decide whether or not to issue an indictment, or formal charging document, that allows the government to prosecute a person for a federal offense. The grand jury process begins with the U.S. Attorney’s Office presenting all the evidence it has collected to the grand jury. The grand jury then deliberates and decides whether or not to indict the person or persons accused of the offense. If the grand jury does decide to indict, the case will move forward in the federal court system. The federal grand jury is critical in deciding whether or not to move forward with a criminal case in federal court. It is one of the essential steps in the criminal justice process. Without it, there would be no impartial way of determining whether or not there is sufficient evidence to pursue a federal criminal prosecution.

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What is a federal grand jury?

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