Federal grand juries have been declining to indict in several high-profile cases during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second administration, drawing renewed scrutiny and potentially highlighting the need for judicial reform.
Grand juries in recent federal cases have declined to indict in matters that prosecutors appeared confident would proceed, suggesting a resurgence of the grand jury’s constitutional role and a growing skepticism among citizens called to serve.
The dismissal of charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James highlights the need for lawful, fair, and unbiased legal processes, as the case was deemed to lack merit and was advanced through an unlawful appointment.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carol Leonnig has warned that Donald Trump has taken a “wrecking ball” to the Department of Justice, hollowing it out with political purges, fear, and the dismantling of long-standing norms, potentially threatening the rule of law and the fairness of the justice system.
Naomi Wolf warned us that democracies die in stages, and President Trump’s Project 2025 is a manual for turning dangerous precedents into permanent policy, as evidenced by the use of federal agents and National Guard forces in cities like Portland, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
The Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP) has condemned the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the Trump administration of using the Department of Justice to silence critics and undermine democracy.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 21 other attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the USDA for demanding states provide access to confidential information about SNAP recipients, which they argue violates federal privacy laws and the US Constitution.