I was arrested and charged by grand jury indictment in state court. What happens next?
An indictment is a piece of paper signed by the foreperson of a grand jury charging you with the commission of a crime. The grand jury system was originally intended by our forefathers to serve as a protection against governmental abuse. The concept was to give the citizens the power to determine whether a crime was committed. The grand jury is composed of six to ten persons for the purpose of investigating public offenses. Grand jurors serve a limited term and are randomly selected from the voter registration and driver license lists. The Minnehaha County grand jury meets at least two days each week. In theory, the grand jury is supposed to function as a sword and a shield. The grand jury functions as a sword striking down criminal conduct. It functions as a shield to protect the innocent from being wrongfully charged by the prosecuting authorities. In reality, defense lawyers joke that a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich. The reason for this is because of the manner in which a gra
