[Sherman Logan]

Interesting.

This may be because she thinks the evidence points to the local prosecutor making the right decision.

Or it may be because she’s afraid the grand jury would agree with the local prosecutor and the state will file charges itself for political reasons.

Personally, I think the law should be changed so all such deaths should be presented to a grand jury which will make the decision whether charges are justified or not. This will to some extent take politics out of the decision. Such decisions are much to important to be left to the judgment of individual prosecutors.

[ltc8k6]

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[Oberon]

Zimmerman’s going to have to skip town and change his name in any case... I’m beginning to thing it would be to his advantage to go on trial. If he never has his day in court, he won’t ever get a chance to clear his name.

[moehoward]

They need this thing to go away. Not filing and stalling is definitely the better course. At least with the few facts we have.

[Darren McCarty]

You can present "evidence" to a grand jury that is inadmissible in a trial. Grand Juries on the state level heavily favor the prosecution's side for a host of reasons, the first of which is no judge or cross examination. I don't practice crim law and have limited experience with them, but it's far from favorable to a potential defendant.

An experienced prosecutor can get a GJ (sometimes single member) to indict just about anybody.

[zencycler]

Personally, I think the law should be changed so all such deaths should be presented to a grand jury which will make the decision whether charges are justified or not.

---------------------------------------------

Not good. The prosecutor has to have some discretion here. Imagine - if all cases involving a death went to a grand jury, then even a woman who had survived being raped and brutalized by killing her attacker in a case of clear self defense would be put through this ordeal.

[Hulka]

I think she decided not to go the way of a grand jury because she fears the grand jury will not indict.

She can’t have that.

She MUST have a trial, and if Z is found not guilty, then she can just wash her hands of it and say; “I did what I could to convict the bad guy. . .it was the jury’s fault, not mine.”