Opinion ID: 2387754
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Grand Jury in the State of Maryland

Text: In Maryland, there is no constitutional right of a person accused of a crime to be indicted by a grand jury. The federal constitutional provision is not applicable to the states, see Hurtado v. California, 110 U.S. 516, 535, 4 S.Ct. 111, 120, 28 L.Ed. 232 (1884); the Maryland Constitution does not bestow the right, and common law rights may be changed by legislative enactment, judicial opinion, and rules of court. Lutz v. State, 167 Md. 12, 15, 172 A. 354 (1934). It once was that in Maryland the right to indictment by a grand jury was given by legislative enactment implemented by the Maryland Rules, but subsequent legislation and rule amendments abrogated the right, although retaining a grand jury indictment as one means of charging an accused of certain crimes. The law as it was and the legislative history of the partial demise of the right to indictment by a grand jury are traced in Moaney v. State, 28 Md. App. 408, 346 A.2d 466 (1975). Although there is no Maryland constitutional right to indictment by a grand jury, the organic law of this State recognizes the grand jury concept in our system of criminal justice. We, the People of the State of Maryland declared in Article 5 of the Declaration of Rights That the Inhabitants of Maryland are entitled to the Common Law of England, and the trial by Jury, according to the course of that Law.... And we declared in Article 21 of the Declaration of Rights That in all criminal prosecutions, every man hath a right to be informed of the accusation against him; to have a copy of the Indictment, or charge, in due time (if required) to prepare for his defence; ... and to a speedy trial by an impartial jury, without whose unanimous consent he ought not to be found guilty. Although the grand jury is not expressly named, its recognition is implicit in Article 5 by the entitlement to the common law of England, and in Article 21 inasmuch as the primary purposes of an indictment returned by a grand jury is to fulfill the constitutional requirements contained in that article. State v. Morton, 295 Md. 487, 490, 456 A.2d 909 (1983); Ayre v. State, 291 Md. 155, 163, 433 A.2d 1150 (1981). Despite the absence of a constitutional right, it is manifest that the grand jury still plays an important role in the administration of criminal justice in this State. A grand jury is convened in every county and in Baltimore City. The Maryland Code is replete with provisions concerning the grand jury and grand jurors. The declared policy of this State is that every citizen who maintains his name on the roll of voters registered for State elections shall have the opportunity to serve on grand juries and the obligation to serve when summoned. Maryland Code (1973, 1984 Repl.Vol.), § 8-102(b) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article. Under the Maryland Rules, a charging document includes an indictment, Rule 4-102(a), and an indictment means a charging document returned by a grand jury and filed in a circuit court, Rule 4-102(d). More often than not, when charges against an accused originate in the circuit court, they emanate from the grand jury.