Grand Juries are used to determine?

Grand juries play a critical role in the criminal justice process, primarily serving the function of determining whether there is enough evidence, or probable cause, to charge a person with a crime and proceed to trial. This process involves evaluating the evidence presented by the prosecution and deciding if it is sufficient to issue an indictment, which formally charges an individual with a crime.

Unlike a petit jury, which decides guilt or innocence in a trial setting, a grand jury does not make determinations about whether the accused is guilty or innocent. Its purpose is not related to sentencing outcomes or assessing a defendant’s mental competence, which are issues reserved for trial courts and other evaluative processes. Thus, the role of a grand jury is focused exclusively on establishing whether a case has enough merit to warrant a trial, reinforcing the importance of the probable cause standard in the justice system.