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Huntingdon judge joins task force

Zanic tapped by Supreme Court to help review grand jury process

Huntingdon County’s president judge has been selected to serve on a task force to review the investigative grand jury process.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court tapped Huntingdon County President Judge George Zanic and six others for the task force to conduct a comprehensive review of investigating grand juries, the court announced Thursday.

“I’m truly honored to be selected by the Supreme Court to serve on this task force,” Judge Zanic said Thursday. “It is my understanding that each justice selected one member, and I was chosen by Justice (Debra McCloskey) Todd. I believe that my career as a defense attorney, prosecutor and now as a common pleas judge gives me a unique perspective on the issues that will be addressed by the task force.”

Zanic began practicing law in Huntingdon County in 1992, was a founding partner of the BMZ Law firm in 1994 and served a dozen years as a public defender before he was elected Huntingdon County District Attorney in 2007. Zanic served in that role from 2008 until January 2014, when he was sworn in as the county’s president judge.

Zanic joins Allegheny County Judge Anthony M. Mariani on the task force along with prosecutor Ronald Eisenberg of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Duquesne University Law Professor Wesley M. Oliver and attorneys Sal Cognetti Jr. of Scranton, Linda Dale Hoffa of Philadelphia and Thomas J. Farrell of Pittsburgh.

“Recent high-profile trials have focused attention on investigating grand juries and the important role they play in the justice system,” state Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor said in a statement. “It’s good policy to periodically evaluate operations and make updates and improvements where warranted.”

Saylor added that no comprehensive review of the grand jury system has taken place “in recent memory” and the task force will prepare a public report that details the current system along with proposals for improvement.

In Pennsylvania, a grand jury is usually made up of 23 people who investigate suspected criminal activities. The grand jury then decides if there is enough evidence to recommend charges be filed and although prosecutors seriously consider the recommendation, they are not required to follow it. Grand jurors serve 18-month terms and proceedings are not open to the public.

According to the Supreme Court announcement, the task force will be asked to assess the scope and nature of grand jury secrecy and the roles of the supervising judge and the commonwealth’s attorney. Training for supervising judges, gag orders and the swearing of attorneys to secrecy will be among the issues studied by the task force.

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