The Alaska Grand Jury: The State's "Need for Process" Scam
On March 15th 2022, Alaskans protested outside courthouses across Alaska. They demanded the Alaska Supreme Court overrule its Order 1993 (SCO 1993). With essentially no input by members of The Alaska's Legislature's Rules Committee, the highest court had created rule 6.1 formed of whole cloth. The Legislature’s Rules Committee reviews language with recommendations from Legislative Legal for constitutionality. That didn’t happen in this case because it was a reactionary act responding to demands of Alaskans for accountability. This new law restricts citizens’ rights to petition the grand jury to investigate into official misconduct. The subject of grand jury process has been debated for centuries, there was no need to rush. Except, the rules were changed and enacted just weeks before a subpoenaed testimony of Alaska’s lead judicial investigator Marla Greenstein, as she has had the role for nearly 35 years. According to the Peninsula Clarion, the Kenai Peninsula Borough As...