On this episode of The Newsroom: North Carolina’s notoriously opaque grand juries.
A recent twist in the TRU Colors double-homicide case offered a brief glimpse inside the black box of the grand jury — and defense attorneys argue what they found inside was truly concerning: a detective who appears to have given false testimony to jurors while securing an indictment.
So, what happens when there’s alleged misconduct in the grand jury, when no one is supposed to know what happens there, at all? For the father of one defendant, it’s a question that has, painfully, gone without a real answer.
On this show, we unpack the TRU Colors double-murder case, the secrecy of North Carolina’s grand juries, and an unprecedented look inside one of them. Plus, since we’re talking about the TRU Colors case, we’ll take a look at how the rap lyrics of one of the suspects could be used in court.
Links:
- Shooting kills two, wounds one at home of Tru Colors executive off of Middle Sound Loop (WHQR)
- Tru Colors survived tragedies and setbacks to get its beer on the market, but its business model remains contentious (WHQR)
- The Newsroom: District Attorney Ben David and Chief District Court Judge Jay Corpening on juvenile justice (WHQR)
- Inside the Grand Jury’s Black Box (The Assembly and WHQR)
- Should Rap Lyrics Qualify as Evidence in Criminal Trials? (Reason)
- California and Louisiana have passed laws meant to protect artists, and a bill has been proposed in Congress that would provide federal protection, although it hasn’t gotten much traction.