Zoom Grand Juries in N.J. During Pandemic Held Constitutional

A defendant’s right under the New Jersey Constitution to have his charges brought before a grand jury before being indicted isn’t violated by the state’s use of virtual grand jury proceedings during the Covid-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Supreme Court said.

The court had the authority to implement the process using Zoom, and technical glitches don’t make it unconstitutional, the unanimous opinion by Justice Barry T. Albin said. “This court has utilized technology to preserve, not to undermine, the constitutional right of defendants to a grand jury presentation,” it said.

Omar Vega-Larregui challenged the virtual grand jury process after he ...