New evidence has emerged that Alex Pretti was known to federal agents more than a week before he was gunned down, and a veteran columnist made a case that the government officers who killed him committed first-degree murder.CNN reported that Pretti suffered a broken rib about a week before his death...
My understanding was the grand jury was more or less a formality so that double jeopardy would prevent any future prosecutions from happening, but what you’re saying 100% tracks as well.
A grand jury will not create double jeopardy because it happens before charges are brought. It’s a way for a prosecutor to see if the evidence they have is strong enough. If a grand jury does not indict they can try again with new evidence or a different approach. They aren’t necessarily required for every criminal case. But making a weak case to a grand jury is a way prosecutors avoid charging cops while claiming to have tried their best to the public. Especially with the secrecy around them.