." >> joining me now the debbie hines, currently a trial attorney based here in d.c. debbie thanks for joining us. >> thank you for having me lisa. >> what are grand juries supposed to accomplish? >> fact finding mission to decide whether charges should be brought against a defendant or no charges should be brought. that's their sole purpose to hear witnesses documents if any, to make a bill of indictment or new true bill. >> how effective are they? >> they are typically very effective, in the grand jury the only persons in the grand jury are the prosecutor, the grand jurors and the stenographer. that's it. for rare reasons if maybe the witness has to testify but one-sided team and that's the prosecutor. >> you've been a prosecutor, you've been on that side of it, now you're a prosecutor. what works well in terms of how the grand jury is is functioning? >> in most cases the grand jury works very well. it is not a trial. that's for something down the line. it is just initially to decide whether charges should be brought. and although we have been hearing about charges n