(1) A certified or authorized reporter shall be present at all grand jury sessions. All grand jury proceedings and testimony from commencement to adjournment shall be reported. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no copies of transcripts of, or exhibits from, such proceedings shall be made available.

(a) The reporter's stenography notes and tape recordings shall be preserved and sealed and any transcripts which may be prepared shall be preserved, sealed, and filed with the court;

(b) No release or destruction of the notes or transcripts shall occur without prior court approval; and

(3)(a) This subsection applies to a grand jury impaneled pursuant to subsection (4) of section 29-1401.

(b) A transcript, including any exhibits of the grand jury proceedings, and a copy of such transcript and copies of such exhibits shall be prepared at court expense and shall be filed with the court. Such transcript shall not include the names of grand jurors or their deliberations.

(c) If the grand jury returns a no true bill, a copy of the transcript, including a copy of any exhibits, shall be available for public review upon written request to the clerk of the district court. Such review shall be made at a reasonable time set by the clerk of the district court. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no copies of such transcript or exhibits shall be made available.

(d)(i) If the grand jury returns a true bill, once a trial court is assigned and the criminal case docketed, any of the parties to the criminal case, within five days of the criminal case being docketed, may file a motion for a protective order requesting a hearing before the trial court to request a delay of the public review of the transcript, including any exhibits, of the grand jury proceedings. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no copies of such transcript or exhibits shall be made available.

(ii) If after a hearing the trial court grants the request for a protective order, then any public review of the transcript, including any exhibits, of the grand jury proceedings shall not take place until the conclusion of the criminal prosecution. Conclusion of the criminal prosecution means an acquittal, a dismissal, or, if there is a conviction, when the direct appeal process has concluded. Once the criminal prosecution has concluded, a copy of the transcript, including a copy of any exhibits, shall be available for public review upon written request to the clerk of the district court. Such review shall be made at a reasonable time set by the clerk of the district court. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no copies of such transcript or exhibits shall be made available.

(iii) If after a hearing the trial court denies the request for a protective order, then a copy of the transcript, including a copy of any exhibits, shall be available for public review once the trial court's order is filed and upon written request to the clerk of the district court. Such review shall be made at a reasonable time set by the clerk of the district court. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no copies of such transcript or exhibits shall be made available.

(iv) If no party to the criminal case files a motion for a protective order within the time provided in subdivision (3)(d)(i) of this section, then a copy of the transcript, including a copy of any exhibits, shall be available for public review upon written request to the clerk of the district court. Such review shall be made at a reasonable time set by the clerk of the district court. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no copies of such transcript or exhibits shall be made available.

(4) Upon application by the prosecutor or by any witness after notice to the prosecutor, the court, for good cause, may enter an order to furnish to that witness a transcript of his or her own grand jury testimony or exhibits relating thereto.

(5) Any witness summoned to testify before a grand jury, or an attorney for such witness with the witness's written approval, shall be entitled, prior to testifying, to examine and copy at the witness's expense any statement in the possession of the prosecuting attorney or the grand jury which such witness has made that relates to the subject matter under inquiry by the grand jury. If a witness is proceeding in forma pauperis, he or she shall be furnished, upon request, a copy of such transcript and shall not pay a fee.

Annotations

A hearing on a motion concerning the public disclosure of grand jury documents is a special proceeding. In re Grand Jury of Douglas Cty., 302 Neb. 128, 922 N.W.2d 226 (2019).

An order regarding the public disclosure of grand jury documents is made during a special proceeding. In re Grand Jury of Douglas Cty., 302 Neb. 128, 922 N.W.2d 226 (2019).

In a special proceeding, an order is final and appealable if it affects a substantial right of the aggrieved party. In re Grand Jury of Douglas Cty., 302 Neb. 128, 922 N.W.2d 226 (2019).

Where the State violated this section by providing witnesses copies of their grand jury testimony without a court order, violation was subject to harmless error review, because it was a trial error instead of a structural error. State v. McKinney, 273 Neb. 346, 730 N.W.2d 74 (2007).

Court approval for the release of grand jury proceedings when there has been a "no true bill" is limited by statute to witnesses and to other courts. In re Grand Jury of Lancaster Cty., 269 Neb. 436, 693 N.W.2d 285 (2005).