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Article: Grand juries still prevalent in Oklahoma despite decline elsewhere
- Article from:
- THE JOURNAL RECORD
- Article date:
- May 17, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2007 THE JOURNAL RECORD. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Grand juries are being used less frequently by the various
states, but they remain alive and well in Oklahoma, and most states
retain them as an option.
Not everyone involved in the Oklahoma criminal justice system is
happy with grand juries. Defense attorneys in particular say they
can be, and have been, abused.
Even Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, whose office
administers the multicounty grand jury, said, "There are grand
juries, and there are grand juries."
Edmondson said that both multicounty and single-county grand
juries perform a valuable service and are an excellent investigative
tool.
However, he said county grand juries impaneled by a citizen
petition can "get away from ...