Grand Jury : A panel of citizens convened by a court to decide whether it is appropriate for the government to indict (proceed with a prosecution against)
 “How a grand jury works”
(The Economist)
 “6 of your questions about grand juries answered”
(NBC News)
 “Why grand jury indictments in police shootings are so rare”
(NBC News)
 “Garner, Brown Decisions Spark Calls for Grand Jury Reform”
(U.S. News)
 “Wave of Protests After Grand Jury Doesn’t Indict Officer in Eric Garner Chokehold
Case”
(NY Times)
 “Teachers Protest Grand Jury Decisions at Police Precinct”
(Huffington Post)

What is a grand jury?

Should the grand jury process be changed? How would changes be made? What needs to be changed? Is secrecy an absolute requirement in order to allow grand juries to work fairly? Is there something fundamental about the role of citizen juries in the U.S. criminal justice system?

What was the original purpose of a grand jury? How is the grand jury guaranteed in the
Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? Are grand juries used in other countries? Why or Why not?

Is there an inherent conflict between the role of a prosecutor and his/her connection with police?

Are there differences between the results from the Michael Brown and Eric Garner grand juries? How do both underline the problems with grand juries and police officers? Does the video of Eric Garner’s arrest change the way we understand what happened? Does their proximity in time increase the sense of outrage?

How do continued demonstrations reflect the concerns about justice by all citizens of the
United States?

What are special prosecutors and when should they be used?


How does the perception that the grand jury system does not work impact faith in the rule of law and in the U.S. criminal justice system?

How does the federal justice department monitor civil rights violations?

Who polices the police? What protections are in place to support police officers who use deadly force?

What rights do people have when they are arrested?

What is the appropriate conduct for police officers during an arrest? What is the appropriate conduct for a person who is being arrested?

How might cameras on police officers change their behavior?

What is the role of citizen review boards in monitoring police?

For additional questions, please visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily_videos/noindictment-in-eric-garner-chokehold-death/
 “England abolished grand juries decades ago because they didn’t work”
(PRI)


“Grand juries: Questions and Answers”
(The Courier Journal)
“Podcast: The aftermath of Ferguson for the legal system”
(Constitution Daily)
 “Grand juries on trial” (opinion) (Newsday)
 “Grand jury process not perfect, but usually works well”
(The Examiner)
 “Police Use of Excessive Force: A Conciliation Handbook for the Police and the
Community”
(U.S. Dept. of Justice)
Lesson Plans
 “The Grand Jury”
(Teaching Civics)
Constitution


Fifth Amendment (Legal Information Institute)
“Viewing Ferguson and Staten Island in historical context of race” (opinion) (mcall.com)
Oregon
 “How a grand jury works in Oregon”
(KOIN)
 “The Criminal Law Process in Oregon”
(Lawyers.com)
Students
 “Columbia Law School Allows Students to Delay Exams After Grand Jury Decisions”
(Time)
8.14. Explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
HS.20. Analyze the changing definition of citizenship and the expansion of rights.
HS.34. Explain the responsibilities of citizens (e.g., vote, pay taxes).
HS.35. Examine the pluralistic realities of society (e.g., race, poverty, gender and age), recognizing issues of equity, and evaluating need for change.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
3. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determine technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
4. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Middle School, Level 2

Unit 5, Lesson 26: How does the Constitution safeguard the right to equal protection of the law?

Unit 5, Lesson 27: How does the Constitution protect the right to due process of the law?

Unit 6, Lesson 29: What are the rights and responsibilities of citizenship?

Unit 6, Lesson 30: How might citizens participate in civic affairs?
High School, Level 3

Unit 5, Lesson 31: How do the Fourth and Fifth Amendments protect against unreasonable law enforcement procedures?

Unit 5, Lesson 32: How do the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments protect rights within the judicial system?

Unit 6, Lesson 34: What is the importance of civic engagement to American
Constitutional democracy?

Unit 6, Lesson 35: How have civil rights movements resulted in fundamental political and social change in the United States? http://www.classroomlaw.org/resources/susies-current-events/