Grand juries play a crucial role in the criminal justice system. They operate in secrecy, and prosecutors wield significant power in these proceedings. However, under President Trump, the Justice Department has struggled to present cases effectively to these juries. This situation would have been hard to imagine a year ago.
Recently, the Justice Department’s prosecutors have failed multiple times to convince grand juries that the cases brought before them merit criminal charges. This recurring issue has been compounded by federal judges accusing prosecutors of misconduct in at least three instances since last November.
A notable incident occurred in Chicago. Here, Judge April M. Perry dismissed charges against four Democratic activists accused of obstructing police at a protest. The charges were dropped due to errors made during the grand jury process.
Judge Perry highlighted the prosecutors’ errors from the bench. She noted that prosecutors had breached protocols by speaking to grand jurors outside the designated room. They also improperly informed the jurors that their evidence was strong. Furthermore, prosecutors eliminated grand jurors who previously voted against them when reevaluating the charges.
The misconduct didn’t end there. Prosecutors attempted to conceal their actions by redacting grand jury transcripts. Judge Perry then ordered the production of complete transcripts, exposing the full extent of their actions.
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