Kansas Rules for ‘ Citizen Grand Jury’ Process

AP) – The Kansas House has approved a bill aimed at making it harder for judges or prosecutors to influence the work of grand juries convened by citizens.
The vote Tuesday was 101-20 on a bill that would allow people who are responsible for calling a grand jury to observe a judge’s instructions to the jurors. The measure goes next to the Senate.
Supporters said the bill would make grand juries less secretive and more responsive to the people who call them.
Kansas is one of six states allowing citizens to petition for grand juries. The 1887 law was rarely used until about a decade ago, when anti-abortion activists began using it to convene grand jury investigations of abortion clinics. The law also has since also been used to investigate adult bookstores.