Dealing with Grand Juries

In light of most recent events, Activists need to know how to protect themselves. Here you will find a list of helpful materials surrounding Grand Juries. Please contact us if there is something more that you would like to see on this page.

Grand Jury tools:

The public is entitled to limited information about any current grand jury. To obtain that information, you need to send a public records request to the Clerk of the Court for the federal court where the grand jury is taking place. Below please find a template for the information that is normally provided by the Courts. This information will provide you with (1) the date the grand jury began (empaneled) so that you can determine when the grand jury period will expire (unless extended); (2) how often the grand jury is scheduled to meet; (3) whether it is a regular or special grand jury; (4) whether there are any special jury instructions the Court provided to the grand jury to use while determining whether an indictment should issue.

 

Dear Clerk of the Court:

I am requesting public information regarding the current empaneled federal grand jury in the [Western Washington District.] Specifically, I would like the Court Order directing empanelment of the grand jury, the letter to prospective grand jurors, and any special jury instructions issued by the Judge.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Time is of the essence, and thus I would appreciate this information as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your time,

(your name here)