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Get the Facts: How do grand juries work?

Former president Donald Trump indicted by New York grand jury in historic case

Get the Facts: How do grand juries work?

Former president Donald Trump indicted by New York grand jury in historic case

Let's get the facts on grand juries. *** grand jury's main job is usually to decide whether there is reasonable evidence and cause to believe *** person committed *** crime. If there is, then the jury can vote for what's known as *** true bill. An indictment, here's how it works before that happens. Step one, the investigation, that's when *** potential crime is investigated by law enforcement and evidence is obtained. Investigators use several tools such as gathering evidence using *** search warrant or statements from witnesses. Step two prosecutors, the ones who actually bring cases to court, then evaluate that evidence to decide whether to present the case to the grand jury. Grand juries are usually made up of 16-23 members. People from the community selected through *** Countywide pool of potential jurors usually registered voters. Those grand jury members on average meet *** couple of days per week or per month. Importantly, everything that happens in the grand jury room is supposed to stay secret while that jury remains active. That helps ensure witnesses will fully cooperate with the investigation and allows grand jurors to make decisions without outside interference. Step three to conduct any business, *** specific majority of the grand jurors must be present step four in order to make *** decision, *** specific number of grand jurors depending on location, who have heard essential and critical evidence can then vote when that happens. No one else is in the room. And finally step five. If *** grand jury votes to hand up an indictment, it goes to *** prosecutor or *** judge in some court systems in the US, an indictment is required to criminally charge someone and those are the facts in Washington. I'm chief, national investigative correspondent, Mark Albert.
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Get the Facts: How do grand juries work?

Former president Donald Trump indicted by New York grand jury in historic case

With former President Donald Trump’s historic indictment, the grand jury’s role has been a subject of intense focus. The Hearst Television National Investigative Unit examines the makeup of grand juries, their purpose, and how they function. Watch our story above to ‘Get the Facts’ on grand juries.Mark Albert is the chief national investigative correspondent for the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit, based in Washington D.C. Wendy Wilk and David Barcenas contributed to this report. If you know of election security concerns you want us to investigate, send confidential information and documents to the National Investigative Unit at investigate@hearst.com.

With former President Donald Trump’s historic indictment, the grand jury’s role has been a subject of intense focus. The Hearst Television National Investigative Unit examines the makeup of grand juries, their purpose, and how they function.

Watch our story above to ‘Get the Facts’ on grand juries.

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Mark Albert is the chief national investigative correspondent for the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit, based in Washington D.C. Wendy Wilk and David Barcenas contributed to this report.

If you know of election security concerns you want us to investigate, send confidential information and documents to the National Investigative Unit at investigate@hearst.com.