The defense doesn’t have an opportunity to present witnesses, cross-examine the prosecutor’s witnesses, or present evidence that rebuts the prosecutor’s theory of the case when the grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret. There are jury trials that are public.
A petit jury decides if a person committed a crime in a criminal case or if they injured the other person in a civil case.
Why do they call it a grand jury?
Traditionally, the grand jury has more jurors than the trial jury, which is also called a petit jury. In Virginia, there are fewer members for regular or special grand juries than in the United States.
