Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Grand jury bill draws clash: proponents call it the 'people's panel,' officials warn of secrecy risks
Summary
Supporters of HB 16‑39 urged restoring grand‑jury investigatory and presentment powers, adding juror handbooks and enabling citizen referrals; sheriffs and defense lawyers warned the bill would convert a criminal investigative tool into a broad civil oversight mechanism with secrecy and evidentiary limits.
CONCORD — The Judiciary Committee considered HB 16‑39, a proposal to modernize and clarify grand‑jury powers, provide juror handbooks, and enable citizen‑initiated inquiries and presentments on topics of public concern.
Representative Diane Kelly, the sponsor, framed the bill as statutory recognition of duties grand jurors…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
