The New Jersey Supreme Court condoned the use of virtual grand juries during the COVID-19 pandemic in State v. Vega-Larregui. The Court held that it had the authority to make rules and procedures for the courts, including grand juries. The court further reasoned that virtual grand juries protect the rights of the accused by allowing the cases to proceed safely during the pandemic. The Court left the door open a crack, though, by holding that in “individual cases where a defendant claims that an alleged error or defect undermined the fairness of the proceeding, a challenge may be mounted.”
