Prosecutors also use grand juries to gather additional evidence by subpoenaing additional documents and compelling witnesses to testify under oath.
A special grand jury also provides continuity for prosecutors and a venue to present complex information over a longer period of time rather than presenting pieces of a case to different panels for consideration.
Adam S. Miller, a former deputy chief in the district attorney's Major Economic Crimes Bureau, said that while regular grand juries can consider up to eight to 10 cases a day, a special panel is traditionally limited in the number of investigations it considers.
"It's used mostly for larger white collar investigations," said Miller, who noted that he had no knowledge of district attorney's actions in the Trump case. "When you go to a grand jury with so much information, it's often necessary to silo their thoughts to one or two cases. It certainly isn't uncommon for a special grand jury to be seated, but it is not tantamount that an indictment will be sought."
Cohen, Trump's longtime personal attorney, already has acknowledged meeting with New York prosecutors multiple times in cooperation with their investigation.
Cohen told USA TODAY that he could not comment on any aspect of the case, citing the ongoing investigation and his potential role in it as a key witness for the prosecution. But he commented extensively on Twitter on how grand jury proceedings would amp up the investigation significantly.
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