An Analysis of the U.S Grand Jury System

Abstract

The purpose of this honors thesis is to give an analysis of the grand jury system in the United States today. In order to do so it is necessary to begin with the inception and history of the grand jury system in England and how it subsequently came about in the United States. Then I will give a timeline of the progression of the grand jury system in the U.S and any reforms or changes that have been made. After that I will talk about four other countries, England, Canada, Ireland, and France, all of which once had a grand jury system but have since abolished it. I will then lay out the main arguments of both proponents of the grand jury system in the U.S. and critics of the grand jury system. Finally, I will analyze two recent grand jury proceedings that received national and international attention, the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases.