In late September, a nonprofit group called Grand Jury Justice surfaced with a bold goal: to use a citizen petition to call a grand jury investigation of longtime Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler and his office, a process that could result in his removal.
The petition focuses on 11 areas of inquiry involving Kunzweiler, including:
- Ignoring or withholding exculpatory evidence (meaning evidence that is good for the defense)
- What Agosto characterizes as sweetheart deals, by which Kunzweiler’s office shows preference for certain defense attorneys
- Conflicts of interest in April Wilkens’ case, among others
Kunzweiler has publicly suggested that the petition is politically motivated. He filed a motion to quash it, which was denied late last week by Judge Timothy King. The petition needs 5,000 valid signatures before November 19 to move forward.
To understand the real stories beneath the legalese, we asked Shar Agosto, the attorney who represents Grand Jury Justice, about the process of impaneling a grand jury, what the petition actually alleges, and what happens if the petition gathers enough signatures. The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
The Pickup: First, what exactly is a citizens grand jury?
Shar Agosto: A citizens grand jury is, basically, a group of people who would normally be called for jury duty and are called for a special reason. … A grand jury doesn’t decide whether someone is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, like a trial jury does. It investigates suspected wrongdoing and decides if the allegations are worthy of an indictment or accusation in the first place.