Understanding the Grand Jury System

Many people do not understand the role that grand juries play in the criminal justice system in New York. In an effort to explain just how grand juries work, and where they fit into the system, we have provided the answers to some frequently asked questions about the grand jury process.

  1. What is a grand jury?
  2. Why does New York need grand juries?
  3. Who presents evidence to the grand jury?
  4. Who decides what evidence to present to the grand jury?
  5. What types of evidence are received by the grand jury?
  6. What is grand jury witness immunity?
  7. How does the grand jury know what law to apply to a case before it?
  8. How can we be sure the prosecutor acts properly before the grand jury?
  9. What happens after all the evidence has been presented?
  10. Do the grand jurors know about all of these powers?
  11. Why is the grand jury proceeding secret?
  12. Is the grand jury symbolic in New York? (It’s been said that a prosecutor can “indict a ham sandwich.”)
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