A grand jury is a group of citizens who are empowered to hear certain evidence presented by prosecutors, and to take various actions regarding the evidence and legal charges they are to consider. See additional details.
The grand jury can vote in favor of an indictment, direct the filing of a prosecutor's information (which contains non-felony charges) or issue a report. For the first 2 actions, the grand jury must determine that the evidence is legally sufficient and that it provides probable cause to believe that the defendant has committed the crime. Otherwise, the grand jury issues a “no-bill” which in effect dismisses the matter. If the grand jury votes in favor of an indictment, the case is forwarded to the Circuit Court for further action.