Johnson City, TN asked in Criminal Law, Appeals / Appellate Law, Civil Rights and Wrongful Death for Tennessee

Q: can grand jury presentments be appealed or taken out of a county's initial jurisdiction if certain bias can be proven?

If the general public has reason and proof to believe that district attorney's offices/ law enforcement are being biased in their presentment of a case to a grand jury for indictment, what can be done?

1 Lawyer Answer
Anthony M. Avery
PREMIUM
Anthony M. Avery pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Knoxville, TN
  • Licensed in Tennessee

A: Possibly nothing. But after Indictment the Defendant must defend against the charge. Improper Grand Jury proceedings might be argued at Pre Trial, Motion for New Trial or on Appeal. Without a clear Federal or State Constitutional violation that causes prejudice, no actionable error will arise. Your lawyer needs to start defending against the Charge and quit worrying about how the Indictment got here.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.