Agrand jury is a group of 12 people who live in Milam County. According to state law, the people on the grand jury must be able to read and write English, cannot have been convicted of theft or any felony, cannot currently be under indictment for a theft or any felony, and a few other simple requirements. Basically, we are looking for good, decent folks who represent what Milam County looks like. We want people from a variety of backgrounds who represent the entire county.
Every felony case that is going to go to trial or to plead out must first go before the grand jury. The most common role of the grand jury is to listen to the facts of a case and figure out if enough evidence exists to charge a particular defendant with a crime.
The grand jury can also investigate cases, either through assisting the district attorney’s office in uncovering evidence or independently investigating matters on its own. An indictment is no evidence of guilt; it is simply a document that informs the defendant what he is charged with and what the state must prove unanimously beyond a reasonable doubt.
Once the grand jury hears the facts of a case, it can decide to issue a “true bill” or a “no bill”. A true bill means there is enough evidence for charges to go forward. A no bill means there is not enough evidence to go forward with any charges.
Obviously, there are a lot of laws and other issues that go into the grand jury process, but I hope this is a basic layout to give readers a chance to learn a little about the process. As always, I’m available for questions or comments at daoffice@milamcounty. org.
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