Evans v. State

We granted George Allen Evans’ (Petitioner’s) petition for a writ of certiorari to decide whether a criminal defendant has the right to obtain documents pertaining to the impanelment of the state grand jury which indicted him. We conclude a defendant has a right to obtain such documents. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

FACTS/PROCEDURAL POSTURE

Petitioner was tried in his absence in 1992, convicted of one count of trafficking in cocaine, and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison and fined $50,000. The Court of Appeals vacated the conviction due to a lack of subject matter jurisdiction.…