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Before a person may be
charged with a felony offense, the District
Attorney’s Office must present sufficient evidence
to a grand jury to permit the return of an
indictment. This is the first formal stage in the
prosecution of a felony criminal offense.
The Grand Jury Section prepares and presents cases
to the grand jury. This special section is under the
leadership of a chief felony prosecutor and is
staffed by nine attorneys on assignment from their
respective felony courts, three investigators, one
court reporter, and five support personnel.
Every year in Tarrant County, 96 people serve on
eight grand juries, which are convened two at a
time. A grand jury is composed of twelve Tarrant
County residents who serve a three-month term and
are paid $40.00 a day. The grand juries hear an
average of 14,000 plus cases per year. The grand
jurors are bound by an oath of secrecy that prevents
them from disclosing any of the proceedings before
them.
When a case has been fully investigated by the
appropriate law enforcement and our office, the
grand jury attorney assigned to the case must decide
what crime has been committed and complete a final
draft indictment for presentation to the grand jury.
At least once a week, each grand jury attorney meets
with the grand jurors to present the cases he or she
has prepared. The presentations can range from
summaries by the assistant criminal district
attorney to live witness testimony.
After the grand jury hears the evidence, it votes on
the case in secrecy. A grand jury decides whether
sufficient facts justify criminal charges against an
accused. No one other than a member of the grand
jury may be present during deliberations. It does
not determine guilt or innocence. If at least nine
grand jurors find sufficient evidence, the grand
jury returns a true bill of indictment. If less than
nine grand jurors vote to indict, the case is “no
billed.” This means that the charges are not
presented to a criminal court for trial. |
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