Federal grand jury hearings now happening in Aberdeen

Federal grand jury hearings for cases in the Northern Division of South Dakota are now being heard in Aberdeen.

U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann said the recent change happened after he asked why grand jury hearings for those cases in the Aberdeen area were being held in Sioux Falls.

Kornmann said the change was made to make it easier for those who serve on the grand jury to do so closer to home and to make it easier for witnesses who are asked to provide testimony.

With federal cases, the U.S. Constitution requires all criminal charges to first go before a grand jury to decide whether there is probable cause to believe a federal crime has been committed. The grand jury decides whether or not to issue indictments.

The Northern Division includes counties from Corson to Grant to Hamlin in the Northern part of South Dakota, including Brown and Codington. It also includes the Sisseton-Oyate Reservation as well as the Standing Rock Reservation as it exists in South Dakota.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Federal grand jury hearings now happening in Aberdeen