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Donna Lowry, GPB News
The Fulton County grand jury determining if former President Donald Trump should face criminal charges in Georgia is now seated.
Ninety-six people arrived at Fulton County Superior Court for grand jury duty early Tuesday morning, unaware that some would hear evidence on whether to indict Trump and his allies for allegedly interfering with the 2020 presidential election.
As with each grand jury term, Fulton County Superior Court impaneled two grand juries of 26 people each, including alternates, to hear several cases. However, one group will listen to evidence from District Attorney Fani Willis’ team about the former president.
Trump’s name was never mentioned.
Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney led the grand jury selection process, then administered the oath to sanction both panels for their duties officially. They agreed to “diligently inquire and a true presentment make of all matters” during their term of service and not indict someone for “envy, hatred or malice.”
McBurney told the groups they would make “a very narrow decision” in each case on whether there is a “reasonable basis to believe” someone committed the crime explained in the indictment.
“If you find that there is probable cause, you must indict,” McBurney said. “This is not a referendum on we don’t like the laws.”
One panel will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the other on Wednesdays and Thursdays through September.
Neither panel knows which one will hear the DA’s evidence involving the 2020 election in a probe that began shortly after Trump’s phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to suggest he “find 11,780 votes.” The grand jurors will also examine the recommendations of the special purpose grand jury that had subpoena power to compel testimony from witnesses and spent eight months in 2022 gathering evidence.
Willis said very little during the selection process except to introduce herself and her team and to thank the group for electing her as Fulton County district attorney.
The DA has indicated any potential indictments related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 election could come in early August.
This story comes to Polialert.com through a reporting partnership with GPB News, a non-profit newsroom covering the state of Georgia.
