The Alaska Department of Law announced on Tuesday a step toward expanding public oversight of government by launching a new process that allows citizens to request investigative grand juries to examine suspected systemic wrongdoing by public officials or entities.
This effort establishes a more accessible and transparent pathway for citizens to bring forward evidence of misconduct affecting public welfare or safety. The initiative includes a dedicated webpage, procedures and policies, and designated legal staff to review citizen-submitted requests.
The move follows a 2022 ruling by the Alaska Supreme Court, known as SCO 1993, which amended Alaska’s criminal rules to clarify the role of investigative grand juries. Under those rules, the Alaska Attorney General is tasked with reviewing citizen requests to determine whether they meet the legal threshold to warrant a grand jury investigation.
Attorney General Treg Taylor emphasized the constitutional foundation of the program, pointing to a key provision in Alaska’s Constitution which guarantees the right of grand juries to investigate public welfare matters.
Taylor said the formalized process ensures that “every Alaskan’s voice can be heard when it comes to safeguarding our community and holding our government accountable.”
The investigative grand jury process is distinct from criminal grand juries. While criminal grand juries are typically initiated by prosecutors or jurors to consider indictments in criminal cases, investigative grand juries are focused on examining broader issues related to public safety or governance when requested by citizens. Once convened, these panels have authority to subpoena witnesses, review documents, and take testimony under oath. After completing their work, grand juries can issue public reports—subject to judicial review—that highlight findings and recommendations.
The newly created webpage hosted by the Department of Law contains detailed guidance on how Alaskans can petition for an Investigative Grand Jury, including the criteria their request must meet and the application process. Citizens are now able to review the standards being applied, track the status of their submissions, and challenge outcomes if necessary.
The Department of Law noted that if a citizen request involves alleged wrongdoing within the department itself, a neutral prosecutor will be assigned to advise the grand jury, ensuring impartiality.
This formalization of the citizen-initiated investigative grand jury process comes amid increasing public interest in government accountability, following years of public disputes over the use of grand juries in Alaska. Legal observers point to recent debates surrounding judicial oversight and public transparency as factors pushing the Department to clarify procedures.
While the policy shift does not alter the grand jury’s authority, it creates the first structured and public-facing mechanism to petition for such investigations since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling. The department characterized the launch as the “first phase” of its ongoing work to uphold constitutional rights and pledged continued improvements.
Isn’t this about rights we already had being given back to us in a limited fashion, or am I missing something?
This will be great. A conservative governor or senator or representative is elected and BAM! hundreds of these grand juries are convened to investigate an official for every imaginable “offense.” This will not have the hoped-for result. It will provide nitrous for the outrage machine and clog the court with frivolous accusations. It will provide cover for the Leftwaffe’s constant carpet-bombing of conservatives. And we just handed that tactic to them.
Rollo, I suggest you review North’s comment above. Absent that, I would hope that when next we get to vote for a Constitutional Convention we would vote to convene and straighten out the process for selecting our Judiciary. This alone might go a long way to alleviate your concerns expressed above.
What good comes of a constitutional convention while Alaska’s election and grand jury systems are as openly corrupt as they are now and registered special interests outnumber legislators by 7 to 1?
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No right or wrong answer, Robert. Those two things are all that people outside the Ruling Class have to keep some kind of check on officials in all three branches whose contempt for us and for the rule of law seems all too obvious.
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Now those things are FUBAR’d, even looks like one’s about to be weaponized against the very voters demanding Ruling Class accountability..
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Should a constitutional convention include the same officials who forced grand jury and election systems into the models of corruption they are now?
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If, as North rightly said, it’s about rights we already had being given back to us in a limited fashion, should people not be petitoning for federal supervision of Alaska’s judiciary and election systems before any convention?
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Otherwise, what persuades the Ruling Class to treat voters and the rule of law with any less contempt post-convention?
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Your thoughts?
A end run around our highest law by the “legal” lawbreakers. We the people are the collective sovereign.
learn? Tacticalcivics.com
Seems dangerous.
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What does that mean exactly, “examining broader issues related to public safety or governance when requested by citizens”?
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What prevents radical Left activists from weaponizing the investigative grand jury against ordinary Alaskans?
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What prevents government, school district, and labor union officials from weaponizing the investigative grand jury to suppress political dissent, taxpayer resistance, voter turnout by using the jury’s “authority to subpoena witnesses, review documents, and take testimony under oath”?
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What prevents community councils in Anchorage, for example, from weaponizing the investigative grand jury against uncooperative neighbors?
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Even government, school district, and labor union officials are citizens, so are they not entitled to request the jury “examinine broader issues related to public safety or governance” which hardened cynics might see as lawfare intended to make people shut up and behave or else?
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Recall separation of powers? How does “examining broader issues related to public safety or governance” not turn the judicial system into a legislative body?
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See where this goes, how it can snowball? Get everybody investigating everybody …subpoena-serving becomes the new cottage industry. who outside the Ruling Class has time and money to do much of anything productive if they’re getting subpoenaed and lawfare’d by runaway investigative grand juries?
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Can’t happen here, because …why, can’t it happen here, Treg?
Bob Bird Show KSRM 920 AM 92.5FM July 16, 2025 interviewed David Haeg about the DOL and Grand Juries. Mr. Haeg did an excellent job presenting facts about SCO 1993, Criminal Rule 6.1 and Grand Juries. You can listen to the interview at ‘https://radiokenai.com/podcasts/ksrm-920-am-92-5-fm-podcasts-talk-of-the-kenai/