The foreman of the county’s criminal grand jury was investigated
on suspicion of disclosing confidential information about a
February indictment outside the secretive proceedings, and the
District Attorney’s Office will decide whether to press
charges.
The foreman of the county’s criminal grand jury was investigated on suspicion of disclosing confidential information about a February indictment outside the secretive proceedings, and the District Attorney’s Office will decide whether to press charges.
Sheriff’s officials on Monday confirmed the department investigated the foreman after receiving a complaint alleging someone outside the 19-member jury told details of the probe while it was ongoing.
The Free Lance will not release the identity of the foreman because the person has not been arrested or charged.
District Attorney John Sarsfield confirmed a complaint was filed, but he doesn’t believe the foreman broke the law, he said. He spearheaded the formation of the grand jury in February.
“I don’t think there were any violations at all from what was described to me, but the sheriff gets to make that call,” Sarsfield said.
The completed investigative report was referred to Sarsfield sometime last week, according to Sheriff Curtis Hill. His office received a complaint that a grand juror “divulged some information inappropriately” before a man was indicted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Hill said. He declined to say who filed the complaint.
It’s illegal for a criminal grand juror to disclose details of the probe or that an indictment is pending. Such an offense is punishable with a misdemeanor, according to the penal code.
The grand jury considers indicting suspects on sensitive investigations, such as those with political ramifications or cases that could reveal victims of sexual crimes. A grand jury’s probe acts in place of a preliminary court hearing.
The February investigation was the first after Sarsfield formed the grand jury. The grand jury indicted a Salinas man on suspicion of attacking a sheriff’s deputy with a knife. Sarsfield said the alleged disclosure won’t affect the indictment.
After convening the grand jury, Sarsfield heralded that 12-19 jurors decide on indictments, rather than the District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff’s detective Sgt. Wes Walker said the investigator didn’t make a recommendation on whether to press charges, though Walker did confirm the foreman was the subject of the investigation.
“We just presented the facts,” Walker said.
