(1) The grand jury, after being sworn, shall be charged as to their duty by the judge, who shall call their attention particularly to the obligation of secrecy which their oaths impose, and to such offenses as he or she is by law required to specially charge.

Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 29-1406

  • Attorney: shall mean attorney at law. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • No true bill: A legal procedure to dismiss charges against a defendant when the grand jury does not find enough evidence to charge the defendant with violating a law. Also called a "no bill."
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: shall include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Sworn: shall include affirmed in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • True bill: Another word for indictment.

(2) Upon impanelment of each grand jury, the court shall give to such grand jury adequate and reasonable written notice of and shall assure that the grand jury reasonably understands the nature of:

(a) Its duty to inquire into offenses against the criminal laws of the State of Nebraska alleged to have been committed or, in the case of a grand jury impaneled pursuant to subsection (4) of section 29-1401, its duty to inquire into offenses against the criminal laws of the State of Nebraska regarding the death of a person who has died while being apprehended or while in the custody of a law enforcement officer or detention personnel;

(b) Its right to call and interrogate witnesses;

(c) Its right to request the production of documents or other evidence;

(d) The subject matter of the investigation and the criminal statutes or other statutes involved, if these are known at the time the grand jury is impaneled;

(e) The duty of the grand jury by an affirmative vote of twelve or more members of the grand jury to determine, based on the evidence presented before it, whether or not there is probable cause for finding indictments and to determine the violations to be included in any such indictments;

(f) The requirement that the grand jury may not return an indictment in cases of perjury unless at least two witnesses to the same fact present evidence establishing probable cause to return such an indictment; and

(g) In the case of a grand jury impaneled pursuant to subsection (4) of section 29-1401, if the grand jury returns a no true bill:

(i) The grand jury shall create a grand jury report with the assistance of the prosecuting attorney. The grand jury report shall briefly provide an explanation of the grand jury’s findings and any recommendations the grand jury determines to be appropriate based upon the grand jury’s investigation and deliberations; and

(ii) The no true bill and the grand jury report shall be filed with the court, where they shall be available for public review, along with the grand jury transcript provided for in subsection (3) of section 29-1407.01.

Source

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