Jeanine Pirro's 'unusual' move to convene amid Trump legal battles raises eyebrows: What is special grand jury?

Just under two weeks after Jeanine Pirro infuriated President Donald Trump by dismissing vandalism charges associated with his controversial Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool project, the U.S. Attorney took an "unusual" and "notable" action, as per a new report. Pirro has made the remarkable decision to convene a special grand jury in Washington, DC, which has sparked speculation regarding her intended targets, reported the Washington Post on Wednesday. Unlike standard grand juries, special grand juries have the unique ability to issue a potentially significant report concerning the subject of an investigation, even in the absence of any trial, according to the report. D.C.'s special grand jury is under the supervision of Steven Vandervelden, a prominent ally of Pirro within her office, as reported by three government officials who communicated with the Post. Vandervelden has played a crucial role in examining some of the office's most contentious cases, such as an unsuccessful investigation into former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell and a probe into claims that the D.C. police department intentionally manipulated their crime statistics. The exact focus of the special grand jury's investigation is still uncertain, as legal experts have stated to the Post that this action is particularly "notable" in light of President Donald Trump's declared interest in having Pirro take legal action against his high-profile rivals. "This could be very interesting," remarked Steve Friedland, a law professor at Elon University. "Each administration has its own approach to how it enforces the law and how it uses the tools available to it." Legal analysts said that there is no recognized "recent precedent" for a special grand jury in Washington. However, they advised that it cannot be completely dismissed that one may have gone unnoticed by the public, as per the Post. Niki Kuckes, a professor at Roger Williams University specializing in grand jury procedures, said that they are "very unusual," adding that "Sometimes they can issue a report, which a regular grand jury can't do." This action comes as Pirro and senior officials from the Justice Department encounter mounting pressure to pursue cases that Trump desires to be prosecuted, following a number of missteps that have strained their relationship.