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Holes in story on grand jury by petition

By Mark Obbie

Monica Davey provides an interesting look, on the front of today's New York Times, at the use of citizen-petitioned grand juries, particularly those instigated by anti-abortion activists in Kansas. The case has received periodic national attention, but this story goes beyond earlier ones I've seen on the history and politics of the state laws that allow citizens to launch a grand jury investigation by petition. What's missing, though, is the perspective of the public officials who are the subject of this end run: prosecutors. Why don't they see the potential of criminal charges in these cases? What happens when prosecutors take over cases that independent grand juries hand to them? The story should have delved more deeply into those legal and political issues.

Full post as published by Lawbeat on June 17, 2008 (boomark / email).