Newsletters

Grand Juries

A grand jury's primary function is to listen to the evidence presented by the prosecutor and decide if someone should be indicted for a crime. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that all federal criminal charges must be brought by a grand jury indictment. About half the states use grand juries. The grand jury also has broad power to investigate crimes. Some states permit grand juries to investigate corruption, organized crime, and the alleged misconduct of public officials. An investigative grand jury has the power to subpoena witnesses.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that was passed in 1966. It ensures government openness and accountability. The FOIA gives a person access to federal agency records. However, agencies are allowed (but not required) to withhold records that fall within nine categories.

Criminal Cases

A criminal case begins when the prosecutor files criminal charges against a person, a person is arrested, or the grand jury returns an indictment against a person. Criminal offenses are either misdemeanors or felonies. A misdemeanor is a crime that is punishable by jail time of up to one year. A felony is a more serious crime, which is punishable by prison time of more than one year.

The Judicial Conference of the United States

In 1922, the United States Congress created a body called the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges to administer the federal judiciary. In 1948, Congress passed additional legislation and changed the name of the governing body to the Judicial Conference of the United States. The Judicial Conference handles the administrative matters of the federal court system.

Federal Court System Overview

The federal court system consists of federal trial courts and two levels of federal appellate courts--courts of appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.