Bill > S859

This bill proposes the establishment of a Special Commission to review, and potentially replace or eliminate, the Grand Jury System, a legal process that originated in England and is still used in some jurisdictions to decide whether there is enough evidence to bring criminal charges. The commission would investigate alternative legal mechanisms for bringing charges to court, examine data on their effectiveness, and consider reforms. Its membership would include deans of Massachusetts law schools or their designees, constitutional officers of Massachusetts or their designees, representatives from the judiciary, law enforcement (including District Attorneys and Sheriffs), and members of the legal profession, among others. The Governor and Attorney General would jointly appoint the commission's members, who would hold public hearings, gather information, and issue a report with findings and recommendations within twenty-four months of their appointments.