College of Law

Prof. Greg Gilchrist walks Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission through grand jury process

July 14, 2015

Gregory M. Gilchrist, associate professor of law at The University of Toledo, recently delivered a presentation on grand juries to the Judicial Branch and Administration of Justice Committee of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission in Columbus. 

The Commission was established in 2011 by the Ohio General Assembly and has been tasked with reviewing the Ohio Constitution and making recommendations to the General Assembly for amendment. Under current review is the Ohio constitutional requirement that all felony cases be indicted by a grand jury.

Grand jury indictments have recently come under scrutiny after several police shooting cases in cities nationwide failed to move to the prosecution phase. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor has asked the Commission to review Ohio’s grand jury requirement at the urging of State Senator Sandra L. Williams, who criticized the grand jury requirement in a recent letter and requested a shift to indictment by preliminary hearing instead. Whereas grand jury proceedings are secret, and controlled entirely by the prosecution, a preliminary hearing is public, adversarial, and controlled by a neutral magistrate.  

In his presentation to the Commission on July 9, Professor Gilchrist gave an overview of how grand juries work, their development through history, the rationale for using grand juries, and the aspects of grand juries that have proven more and less effective.   

“I was extremely impressed with the Committee’s work,” he said. “They are well-versed in the relevant issues and dedicated to a serious review of the Ohio Constitution with an eye toward making sure these foundational laws are the best they can be.”   

“It was an honor to be invited to present to this group,” Gilchrist continued, “and I am hopeful that the College of Law will be able to work with the Commission to introduce our students both to the Commission’s work and to the Ohio Constitution more generally.”

Professor Gilchrist teaches and writes in the areas of criminal law, corporate law, criminal procedure, and white-collar crime. He is currently developing a website to circulate forms and instructions for attorneys to use in crafting trial bargains.

Before joining the faculty in 2011, Gilchrist worked as a criminal defense lawyer both in private practice and in the Office of the Federal Public Defender. He has tried over 10 cases to verdict and successfully avoided indictment for many more clients. Gilchrist has defended individuals, corporations, and public officials in criminal and civil proceedings, and has represented individuals in congressional investigations. He also has conducted internal investigations on behalf of corporations and advised corporations on compliance matters such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

He is a graduate of Stanford University and Columbia Law School, where he was a Stone Scholar and Kent Scholar.

Last Updated: 6/27/22