Alex When does a grand jury indictment occur in Georgia?
An indictment occurs when a defendant is formally accused of a crime by the majority vote of a grand jury. Georgia reserves grand jury indictments for capital offenses, ones punishable by death.
Can a prosecutor talk about what happens before a grand jury?
What happens before the grand jury is not something the prosecutor can talk about to the public and the jurors can never talk about what occurred in the grand jury. While a trial jury must reach a unanimous vote to convict, a grand jury only requires a majority vote of 12 or more to approve an indictment.
What’s the difference between a trial and a grand jury?
While a trial jury must reach a unanimous vote to convict, a grand jury only requires a majority vote of 12 or more to approve an indictment. Furthermore, only 16 of the 23 jurors have to be present. If they decide to approve the indictment, the words “true bill” will be endorsed on it.
How many jurors are on a Georgia grand jury?
In Georgia, a grand jury consists of 16-23 jurors selected from a group of citizens within the county.
Does a grand jury hand down or up an inditement?
Not to belittle the work of grand juries, but it’s my understanding that they actually hand the indictments “up” — as in, up to the courts. It all follows a certain hierarchy: the Supreme Court, as the highest in the land, gets to “hand down decisions,” while judges can “hand out” sentences to defendants.
What is a grand jury and what is an inditement?
A grand jury is essentially a group of regular citizens who regularly convene to decide whether or not indictments should be issued to individuals who are currently under federal investigation. An “indictment” is another name for a “formal charge.”
What is the grand jury indictment process?
The Indictment Process. A grand jury, composed of 16 to 23 members as specified by the laws of each jurisdiction, investigates an accusation brought to them by the prosecutor. The investigation involves reviewing evidence and hearing witness testimony.
Does the accused have to testify at a grand Jur?
An accused has no right to testify at a N.J. grand jury. However, the prosecutor may extend an invitation for a defendant or target of investigation to testify. Under this circumstance, a defendant will have the “privilege” of testifying provided he waives his Miranda rights and right to counsel as defense attorneys are not permitted to be present at grand jury proceedings.