Grand Jury and Indictment
Following the convention on September 9, 1968 a Federal grand jury was empaneled to consider criminal charges. The grand jury focused on the possible grounds for charges in four areas:
- A conspiracy by protesters to cross state lines to incite a riot
- Violations by police of the civil rights of demonstrators by use of excessive force
- TV network violations of the Federal Communications Act
- TV network violations of federal wiretap laws.
Over the course of more than six months the grand jury met 30 times and heard some 200 witnesses. However, President Lyndon Johnson's Attorney General, Ramsey Clark, discouraged an indictment, believing that the violence during the convention was primarily caused by actions of the Chicago police. The grand jury returned indictments only after President Richard Nixon took office and John Mitchell assumed the office of Attorney General. On March 20, 1969, eight protesters were charged with various crimes and eight police officers were charged with civil rights violations.
Read more about this topic: Chicago Seven
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