Local prosecutors have wide latitude when seeking an indictment from a grand jury in cases against police officers. While only the court and jury know what happens during a grand jury, events of recent weeks have made it clear that grand juries rarely indite police officers even when the facts appear to make a clear case for an indictment. One reason for this is that local prosecutors are unwilling to push hard for an indictment as they often need the cooperation of the police in the course of their job. This creates an inherent conflict of interest. The Department of Justice should have a prosecutor who steps in during grand jury cases involving police in order to remove this conflict of interest. This structural change to our justice system would engender greater trust than we see today.
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