Grand Juries Explained

When someone is arrested for a criminal offense, bail is usually posted by either the alleged offender’s loved ones or friends. Most of the time, a bail bondsman is involved in posting the bail. After being released on bail, the defendant must appear in court before a judge for their preliminary hearing. These hearings are necessary to determine if there should be any further indictments made. If a trial is required, a jury will be selected and the trial will begin.

A grand jury consists of 6-12 people who decide whether or not to indict someone. A federal grand jury can have up to 23 people and all the people in a grand jury are chosen randomly. They hear all the evidence and meet in private to come up with the verdict. They meet in private in order to not tarnish the reputation of the accused in case they do not decide to indict and also so that the accused does not interfere with the evidence in a hearing.

The decision of the grand jury does not have to be unanimous. The requirements are either two-thirds or three-fourths of the members must agree on a decision; this is called a supermajority. If an indictment is returned, this is called a “true bill”. If they do not indict, it is called a “no bill”.On very rare occasions will the prosecution decide to not pursue any charges against someone after a grand jury indictment. Many times, the prosecution will be undecided on bringing up charges and will rely on another grand jury to make a decision.

For more details, Please contact Avolevan Bail Bonds san Dimas, CA at 909-721-8204. We look forward to helping you out in this stressful process.