California · Penal Code

PEN §917: (a) The grand jury may inquire into all public offenses committed or triable within the county and present them to the court by indictment.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute defines grand jury authority to investigate public offenses within a county and present indictments, with an exception for certain peace officer use-of-force cases.

Read the full statutory text
(a) The grand jury may inquire into all public offenses committed or triable within the county and present them to the court by indictment. (b) Except as provided in Section 918, the grand jury shall not inquire into an offense that involves a shooting or use of excessive force by a peace officer described in Section 830.1, subdivision (a) of Section 830.2, or Section 830.39, that led to the death of a person being detained or arrested by the peace officer pursuant to Section 836.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.