What are the requirements for federal grand jury proceedings?

In Texas, federal grand jury proceedings are governed by Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6. A grand jury is a group of citizens called upon to investigate and hear evidence of a possible crime. Before the grand jury is convened, an indictment must be approved by a federal court. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal activity. The court will only approve an indictment if there is probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed. Once an indictment has been approved by the court, the grand jury is called into session. The grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret and the prosecutor presents evidence in support of the indictment. The grand jury may also hear from witnesses and take additional evidence. In order to approve the indictment, 12 out of the 23 jurors present must unanimously agree. After the grand jury has gone through all the evidence and heard all of the witnesses, it decides whether to approve the indictment, which is a charging document that the accused must answer before the court. If the grand jury approves the indictment, the accused is said to be “indicted” and the grand jury proceedings are concluded. If the accused is indicted, then the trial process will begin.

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What are the requirements for federal grand jury proceedings?

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