Art. 437 Inquiry into offenses; authority and duties

A grand jury has certain jobs when it comes to looking into crimes committed in the parish. It must always investigate the most serious crimes, like those that could lead to the death penalty or life in prison. For these types of cases, the grand jury has no choice. It has to look into them.

For less serious crimes that still go through the district court, the grand jury has more freedom. It can choose to investigate these cases on its own. But if the district attorney asks the grand jury to look into a case, or if a judge orders it to, the grand jury must do so.

In short, this rule sets up two levels of responsibility. Serious crimes always get automatic review. Other crimes get reviewed either when the grand jury decides to act or when someone with authority tells them to.