Marion County prosecutors explain grand jury process, secrecy and subpoena power at Community Justice Academy

Ryan Mears, Marion County prosecutor, told attendees at the Community Justice Academy on Oct. 15 that the county uses the grand jury mainly in cases where the community’s judgment on ‘‘reasonableness’’ is needed or when investigators must compel reluctant witnesses to testify.

"By probable cause," Mears said, describing the standard the grand jury uses to decide whether to indict, and he explained that most felony charges in Indiana are filed by charging information based on a police probable‑cause affidavit rather than by grand jury indictment.

The panel — prosecutors Amy Jacobson and Anne Frangus of the Marion County Grand Jury and Special Crimes unit — described how local grand juries are formed, how proceedings run, and what the secrecy rules mean in practice. They said a Marion County grand jury is empaneled quarterly, consists of six jurors plus an alternate, and requires five jurors for a quorum and to return an indictment.

Jacobson said the grand jury is ‘‘our chance as prosecutors to get feedback from the community on our case,’’ and she and Frangus described…