“A grand jury is different than a regular jury you might have seen in a TV court room. A grand jury is a secret proceeding that’s put on by either a state prosecutor or a federal prosecutor, in which they present evidence, typically a felony case, to select members of the public. Those members then hear this evidence, they may consist of testimony from witnesses or documents that are presented, and then the grand jurors will make a decision either to true bill, meaning thumbs up, go ahead and prosecute, or a no bill, meaning this is not a case you guys need to be messing with, and it’s essentially a dismissal. If the case is a true bill, the case is then referred to a court, if it’s a federal or state court. And once it’s in court there, it just proceeds as if it’s a normal case, which ultimately you can end up in front of a regular jury, or a petit jury they might say. And they would be deciding whether or not the case can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. In order for a grand jury to make a true bill decisions all they need is probable cause. So, a grand jury and a petit jury or a trial jury have two different burdens of proof. Of course the trial jury, their burden is beyond a reasonable doubt. And the grand jury, all they have to find is probable cause.”

If you have been accused of a crime in Colorado, or might be being investigated by grand jury it is very important to have an experience Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer on your side. Contact the Law Office of Douglas Richards for a free consultation!