Grand juries placed in danger with creeping defense practice

Prosecution and Procedure

By David J. Robinson

David J. Robinson is a lawyer, adjunct professor, author and chief deputy director for the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor.

Posted June 11, 2019 4:33 PM

Issues related to grand jury investigations and indictments often birth confusion for judges and practitioners — and rightly so — because they arise out of secret proceedings.But a disturbing new trend appears to be emerging: trial courts entertaining challenges to grand jury investigations and indictments based upon the defendant’s self-serving view of the facts.In April, the Illinois Appellate Court reversed a trial court’s order dismissing a grand jury indictment based on the defendant Leroy …

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