Members of the grand jury closely work with prosecutors in order to fully understand what is asked of them. When a grand jury convenes, defendants or their attorneys are not present. Furthermore, the proceedings aren’t open to the public, according to the U.S. Courts. In court, members of the grand jury are free to ask the prosecution about the pieces of evidence, and they are free to offer their thoughts on the case to the prosecutor. Overall, a grand jury proceeding is more relaxed than a court trial.
After viewing the pieces of evidence presented, the grand jury then decides if a trial should push forward. If they decide that there is enough evidence, the defendant will then be indicted. The grand jury doesn’t have to be unanimous when making the decision; in most jurisdictions, at least two-thirds of the members must come to an agreement, per Find Law.
