A grand total of zero — zero — grand jurors agreed to return the proposed indictment. As a former federal prosecutor, I have never heard of this actually happening before.
“The average person doesn’t appreciate how stunning” it is for a grand jury to outright reject an indictment, as a former prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office in D.C. put it to me. “The rules are skewed so heavily in favor of the prosecutor that it’s almost comical. But the public is essentially saying, ‘We do not trust you. We are skeptical of you.’”
In a statement, Pirro touted the office’s prosecutorial work, including efforts to curb homicides, and said she was focused on law, not politics.
As somebody who’s served in a grand jury, it really is humiliating for them.
Not sure to what extent the process differs there, but in my experience the process is managed by a district attorney or assistant DA, and testimony for cases is a parade of mostly cops and prosecutors with a sprinkling of state’s witnesses for especially dramatic cases. You literally don’t hear from the defense at all (by design). And it’s constantly drilled into you that this is just a preliminary stage – you’re not voting whether they’re guilty, just whether the matter deserves further scrutiny in court.
To have that level of bias – before whatever unprofessional/extralegal bullshit the incompetent administration team pulled – and still get not just a failed indictment, but one with ZERO votes from the grand jury (which are typically larger than the traditional twelve) is hilarious.
According to the article:
As somebody who’s served in a grand jury, it really is humiliating for them.
Not sure to what extent the process differs there, but in my experience the process is managed by a district attorney or assistant DA, and testimony for cases is a parade of mostly cops and prosecutors with a sprinkling of state’s witnesses for especially dramatic cases. You literally don’t hear from the defense at all (by design). And it’s constantly drilled into you that this is just a preliminary stage – you’re not voting whether they’re guilty, just whether the matter deserves further scrutiny in court.
To have that level of bias – before whatever unprofessional/extralegal bullshit the incompetent administration team pulled – and still get not just a failed indictment, but one with ZERO votes from the grand jury (which are typically larger than the traditional twelve) is hilarious.