what does a grand jury consist of
What is a Grand Jury. A grand jury is a group of citizens, usually chosen from the same pool as trial jurors, that is sworn in by a court to hear a case. The grand jury is composed of not less than 12 and not more than 23 persons; and in the Federal courts, the number shall not be less than 16 nor more than 23.
Grand juries make the initial decision to indict--formally accuse--a criminal defendant and require him or her to stand trial. Grand jury indictments are required for all federal felonies. About half the states have some sort of grand jury hurdle too. Grand jurors are ordinary citizens who listen to the prosecutor questioning witnesses.