If a grand jury does not return an indictment in a criminal case, it means that there is not enough evidence to formally charge the defendant with a crime. This typically results in the case being dismissed, and the defendant is not prosecuted for the alleged offense.
A Grand Jury returns an indictment. Criminal Justice pg 16 schmalleger
An original Grand Jury indictment.
A criminal information is a criminal charge that is brought by prosecutor rather than by a grand jury. A charge from a grand jury is called an indictment.
At common law, and in many states, a grand jury can return charges in either of two ways. One is to vote on a set of charges submitted by a prosecutor; these charges are contained in a proposed indictment, and if the grand jurors decide there is probable cause to support the charges, they vote a "true bill," that is, they vote to return the indictment and initiate a criminal proceeding. If the grand jurors decide there is not probable cause to support the charges, or that the charges should not be pursued for other reasons, they vote a "no true bill," which means the indictment is not returned and no criminal case ensues.
In most states felonies must be brought by a grand jury indictment, whereas misdemeanors do not.ADDED: The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires a grand jury indictment ONLY for federal criminal charges. Only about half the states now use grand juries any more.
When you are indicted by a grand jury, it means they have found enough evidence to formally charge you with a crime. The indictment process involves the grand jury reviewing evidence presented by prosecutors and deciding if there is probable cause to believe you committed the crime. If they agree, they will issue an indictment, which leads to a formal criminal trial.
It means that charges are dropped by a Grand Jury and the persons record is cleared.
No - only a majority.
If you mean an Indictment by a Grand Jury, the answer is yes. If you mean anything having to do with their deliberations, the answer is no - all of that is secret. In federal criminal cases, and in some state cases, a transcript of the grand jury proceedings which led to an indictment may be obtained through discovery by the defendant in his particular criminal case.
A grand jury indictment is a charge issued by a grand jury in a criminal case. Typically, the jury determines whether enough evidence exists to formally charge the suspect with a criminal crime. Grand jury indictments are not dismissed by the court but in a formal hearing, a defense team can argue against any bias.
Indictment..
If you mean an Indictment by a Grand Jury, the answer is yes. If you mean anything having to do with their deliberations, the answer is no - all of that is secret. In federal criminal cases, and in some state cases, a transcript of the grand jury proceedings which led to an indictment may be obtained through discovery by the defendant in his particular criminal case.