Gov. Mark Dayton: BAN GRAND JURIES FOR POLICE OFFICERS WHEN DECIDING CRIMINAL CHARGES

The grand jury was once known as the voice of the community, as they were suppose to bring the everyday person's perspective into government investigative crimes and bring charges against people (or officials) who may have committed crimes.  However, things have changed drastically. When prosecutors want a grand jury to charge someone, the prosecutor will meet with the grand jury and present evidence to them.  The grand jury will hear all of the prosecutor's evidence, and then vote on a set of proposed charges. If they decide the evidence creates probable cause to believe a crime was committed, they will charge the person in an indictment.

The problem with this scenario is Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Rule 6(e) requires all matters occurring before the grand jury to be kept secret. The rule binds everyone (prosecutors, grand jurors, court reporters, and clerical personnel) with access to the grand jury proceedings to secrecy and anyone breaking the rule can be held in criminal contempt. Since it is well known that grand juries are run by prosecutors without judges, this rule creates a loophole for corruption in police brutality cases as prosecutors and police officers work side by side on a regular basis. No judge nor defense attorney are allowed to participate in the grand jury process. There aren’t any cross-examinations of witnesses, and there are no objections in these proceedings. When presenting evidence, the prosecutor can easily persuade the grand jurors to believe whatever is presented. And unlike potential jurors in regular trials, grand jurors are not screened for bias or other improper factors. They are rarely read any instruction on the law, as this is not a requirement; their job is only to judge on what the prosecutor has produced without adequate procedural safeguards.

In this petition, we ask Gov. Mark Dayton to close the loophole. According to a Guardian Study, The Counted, 1,134 deaths has been at the hands of police officers in year 2015 alone. 12 more deaths have already occurred this year (and today is only January 8th). While some of these deaths may have been justifiable, it is possible that not all 100% of the deaths were and we ask that these officers be brought to justice and held accountable for their actions. 

Tell Gov. Mark Dayton to close the loophole...a loophole that disproportionately affects African Americans. Studies show African Americans were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers without accountability. Gov. Mark Dayton has the authority to curb this epidemic however there has been a deafening silence on his part in this particular area.

California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed Senate Bill 227 into legislation, which bans the use of grand juries to decide whether police officers should face criminal charges when they kill people in the line of duty. Gov. Jerry Brown gets it! He is aware of what has been taking place in these police involved murders, he knows that grand juries have been a safe haven for police misconduct and brutality and he has made a huge step in helping restore trust in the criminal justice system in his state.

We ask Gov. Mark Dayton to follow suit in building public trust and transparency in an atmosphere of suspicion that compromises our justice system. We want to gain as many signatures as possible to show support from all Americans who believe now is the time for solutions and problem solving. Now is the time to close the loop on the grand juries involvement in police brutality cases. Please stand with us by signing and sharing this petition to work on reforming and restoring faith in our criminal justice system.

Thank you for your support!