A grand jury in California indicted Michael Jackson today. No details yet, just a head line at www.cnn.com.
Let me be the first to wish Michael Jackson good luck and say that he will always reign as the “King of Pop”.
I’m not weighing in on the sequined one’s guilt or innocence, but an indictment doesn’t mean much. A prosecutor picks which cases go to the grand jury, can present any evidence he/ she wants, and the defense is not allowed to cross-examine or object to anything. The above quote is a lawyer cliche’.
Think of grand jury indictment as a defense against malicious prosecution. The Gov’t must meet a minimum standard of proof before the case can go forward. (“You must have at least this much evidence to ride the wheel of justice”).
This is also why grand jury procedings are secret. Until the gov’t meets its standard (gets an indictment) the case isn’t public and your good name isn’t sullied.
-kdeus