Grand Juries
The legal system in the United States is a complex process. That is why understanding terms like ‘Grand Juries’ can be a little complicated. The fact is that there are people who go to school for years to be able to understand all of the intricacies of the legal system. However, it is not hard for the average system to have a basic understanding of how things work. So, terms like ‘grand juries’ should not be complicated to most people.
A grand jury is a type of jury that gets together and analyzes the evidence in a case to see if the case should get thrown out or not. Basically, they are the ones that sit and review all of the evidence and make the decision as to whether or not there will be a trial. This is an important step in the legal system because it takes a lot of resources to bring a case to court. It here is not enough evidence for there to be a fair trial or just a trial that is worth the time and energy, then the people in the grand jury will be the ones to make that decision.
The grand jury is something that is not unique to the United States. Actually, it can be traced back to the 900’s (AD) to a king called Ethelred the Unready, an Anglo-Saxon ruler. However, other countries have adopted the practice to make sure that their legal systems are up to par. They are not just for countries that have Anglo-Saxon roots.
When it comes to grand juries, some may feel as if it is an unnecessary step. Why go through all that just to see if the case is worth going to trial? Why not just send the case to trial? The answer is simple. It is a drain on resources to send everything to trial. If a case does not have adequate evidence then the jury or the judge will not be able to make a decision about it. That could harm the judicial process in the first place. In order for there to be a fair trial there needs to be enough evidence, plain and simple. If there is not it just is not worth it.
