Article snippet: News broke yesterday that President Donald Trump. But what exactly does a federal grand jury do, and what does it mean that Mueller has started utilizing one in the nation's capital? Here's what you need to know. Common juries –- the ones often depicted in dramatic movie scenes and crime. Grand juries, however, have a different role. They’re generally responsible for deciding whether a defendant should be charged with a crime in the first place. Grand juries operate in secret, and prosecutors present their case by laying out evidence to support it, including by using in-person witness testimony. Comprised of between 16 and 23 members of the public, grand juries usually last for 18 months, although that period can be extended under certain circumstances. In order to indict a defendant on any charges, prosecutors must convince the grand jury that there is “probable cause” to believe a crime was committed. To help determine whether such “probable cause” exists, grand juries have special authority to take their own investigative steps, which are often guided by prosecutors. Federal authorities can use grand juries as a tool in their investigations and use their authority to issue subpoenas to demand that uncooperative suspects, witnesses, and companies hand over private documents or testify behind closed doors. It’s standard-operating procedure for a single grand jury to handle multiple matters over its lifespan. They may indict an alleg... Link to the full article to read more