Like a dock foreman deciding whether there is enough evidence to send a damaged load further down the line for full inspection, this is a screening body, not the final decision-maker. A grand jury is a group of citizens who hear evidence presented by a prosecutor and decide whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment charging someone with a serious crime. It does not decide guilt or innocence. Proceedings are usually secret, the rules of evidence are looser than at trial, and the person under investigation generally does not control the presentation the way a defendant can at trial.

That screening function matters because an indictment formally starts or elevates a criminal case and can lead to arrest, bail proceedings, plea negotiations, and trial. In Minnesota, grand juries are governed by Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure 18. A grand jury generally has 16 to 23 members, and at least 12 must agree to return an indictment. Minnesota requires an indictment for offenses punishable by life imprisonment under Minn. R. Crim. P. 17.01 and 18.01.

For an injury claim, a grand jury can matter when the same event leads to both criminal and civil cases, such as an assault, a fatal crash, or abuse in a care setting. An indictment can preserve testimony, generate discoverable records later, and increase settlement pressure, but a civil personal injury or wrongful death claim does not depend on getting an indictment.