• Explain The Purpose, Functions And Types Of Grand Juries

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Have you ever received the “dreaded” jury summons? If you have then you are more than likely familiar with the process. However, if you have not ever received a jury summons or been selected for jury duty allow me to explain it. A jury summons is the notification that is sent to randomly selected individuals of the community making them aware that they are to appear for jury duty or jury selection. The notification will indicate the date and time in which the individual is to appear. While it is understood that jury duty or jury selection could be a bit “inconvenient” for some individuals it is actually one of the most civic duties you can perform. There are two main types of juries within the federal trial courts: trial juries which are also known as petit juries and grand juries (“Types of juries”, 2017). This paper seeks to provide insight and explain the purpose, functions, and powers of the grand jury. …show more content…

In contrast, grand juries are larger than petit juries and consist of 16 to 23 citizens. The purpose of a grand jury is to determine if there is probable cause to believe the individual has committed a crime and should proceed to trial (“Types of juries”, 2017) and are not public. In accordance with the Fifth Amendment, no individual shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise notorious crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury and is assured for certain offenses (Worrall,

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