A group of citizens (typically 16-23 people) who review evidence to determine whether there is probable cause to believe a person committed a crime and should be formally charged. Grand juries issue indictments but do not determine guilt or innocence.
From Old French 'grand' (large) and 'juré' (sworn person). The term distinguished this larger investigative jury from the 'petit' (small) trial jury. Grand juries originated in 12th-century England as a check on prosecutorial power.
A grand jury is like a legal screening committee - they don't decide if you're guilty, just whether there's enough evidence to make you stand trial, and their proceedings are so secret that even decades later, we still don't know what evidence they saw in famous cases!
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