Opinion ID: 2387754
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Grand Jury Under the Federal Government

Text: As we have seen, an integral part of the common law was the right of a person in a criminal cause to have his fate placed in the hands of his country, that is, in a jury of his peers. The jury concept encompassed not only the determination of a person's guilt or innocence of a crime charged, but also whether he should be charged with a crime in the first place. Whether to charge was the function of a grand jury. The determination of guilt or innocence of a crime charged was the function of a petit jury. When the British colonies were established in America, the common law of England followed. The time came when the colonists found it necessary to throw off the English yoke and obtain relief from the suppression of their unalienable Rights. They won their independence on the field of battle and proclaimed it by a Declaration of Independence. Then, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity they ordained and established a Constitution for the United States of America. The Constitution became effective on 4 March 1789, the day fixed for the commencement of the operations of the government, by virtue of its ratification by the conventions of eleven states, of which Maryland was one. On 25 September 1789, Congress proposed ten amendments which were declared ratified on 15 December 1791. The amendments became known as the Bill of Rights because they went to ensure and preserve those unalienable rights so arduously won in the fight for independence. One of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights was the entitlement of an accused to a jury. The Fifth Amendment concerned the grand jury: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury....[ [6] ]