A federal grand jury decides whether to indict someone for a crime and may investigate criminal activity. They consist of 16-23 ordinary citizens appointed by a federal court, with a foreman and deputy foreman. The work is done privately, and witnesses cannot have their counsel present. Regular grand juries serve about 18 months, and special grand juries may serve up to 36 months. Other countries have juries, but they are rare outside the US. State grand juries also exist.
A federal grand jury is a group of United States citizens that decides whether a person should be indicted or formally charged with committing a crime. These groups may also investigate criminal activity, deciding whether or not an individual or group of individuals should be charged. Federal juries are used to indict people for cases in US federal courts. They are reserved for very serious crimes called misdemeanors, especially those for which a defendant could receive the death penalty.
There are at least 16, but no more than 23 people on a federal jury. These individuals are ordinary citizens called to serve on the jury. Federal grand jurors are sometimes excused from serving on the jury due to illness or other reasons. Since a grand jury cannot meet with fewer than 16 jurors, this may mean replacing apologetic jurors with alternates.
Federal juries also have officials appointed by a federal court. An officer is called a foreman and is responsible for performing certain administrative duties, helping to supervise the jury and swearing in people who will testify in the case. The second officer is a deputy foreman. The deputy site foreman takes over to carry out the functions of the foreman in the event of absence or impediment. Federal juries also sometimes have a clerk who is appointed by the court and who keeps track of juror attendance and votes.
The work of a federal grand jury, including examining physical evidence, is done in private. A jury meets in a private grand jury room inside a federal courthouse. These rooms are not open to the public, even when the grand jury hears witness testimony in the case.
Counsel for a grand jury witness is not permitted inside the grand jury room. The constitution does not provide for the right to an attorney in such cases because the person in question has not yet been charged or indicted. However, the defendant and other witnesses may confer with their attorneys outside the jury room.
In most cases, a regular federal grand jury serves about 18 months. If necessary, a federal court may extend the jury term to a total of 24 months. A special grand jury also begins with an 18-month term, but may be required to serve up to 18 additional months.
Other countries may use juries in their domestic court systems, but they are rare outside the United States. Within the United States, there are also state grand juries that operate in accordance with the laws of the particular state. Grand juries meet regularly, but how often they meet depends on the laws of the specific jurisdiction.
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