§ 132.330 Submission of indictment by district attorney

When a district attorney thinks a crime happened that can be tried in their county, they can bring the case to a grand jury. This means the district attorney does not have to wait for the grand jury to act on its own. They can take the first step by presenting an indictment for the grand jury to consider.

To do this, the district attorney needs a good reason to believe a crime took place. They do not need absolute proof at this stage. The grand jury will then review the evidence and decide whether there is enough reason to formally charge someone with a crime.

This rule gives district attorneys an active role in starting criminal cases. It allows them to bring evidence and information to the grand jury instead of only responding to cases the grand jury raises on its own.