What's going on with the Travyon Martin case? I was just wondering that when I heard the announcement by special prosecutor Angela Corey: The case will not go to the Grand Jury.
What?!? Why not -- and what does this mean for the case?
In a nutshell: After all that fuss over convening a grand jury hearing, and Florida Governor Rick Scott taking state attorney Norm Wolfinger off the case and appointing Ms. Corey, it turns out a grand jury hearing isn't necessary. In this case it would have been just a face-saving political move.
So let's back up a bit and go over what a grand jury is, and what it can do in Florida.
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It's a panel of citizens. They hear the case only from the prosecutor. They don't decide on guilt. They only decide if a case goes to trial. In Florida, you need a grand jury decision before someone can be indicted in a capital case (first degree murder). Otherwise, a prosecutor doesn't need to present before a grand jury to indict someone on a lesser charge.This isn't turning out to be a capital case -- if there is an indictment, it more likely will be a "justifiable homicide" case. So why bother with a grand jury in the first place? Because, as the Miami Herald explains, "in highly controversial or difficult cases, prosecutors often defer to a grand jury, leaving the politically charged decision to a panel of citizens."
But not Angela Corey. She's taking full responsibility for the decision. She says she has never gone before a grand jury with a justifiable homicide case. "I always lean towards moving forward without needing the Grand Jury in a case like this. I foresee us being able to make a decision and move it on our own."
Some legal experts think this may mean charges could be filed sooner than later. There's no guarantee that charges will be made at all. But if Corey's bold decision does speed things up it will be an enormous relief to everyone concerned about this case.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
What do you think about Angela Corey's decision not to present before the Grand Jury?
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