WINONA, Minn. – The judge in the Adam Fravel murder case put a lid on public access to information that a grand jury heard against him. Attorneys for both the prosecution and defense had wanted the grand jury transcripts sealed. Judge Nancy Buytendrop agreed. Among information being suppressed at least for the time being are statements from police investigators to the grand jury. Attorneys for sides wanted the grand jury trascripts sealed; Among arguments to seal:
> Public revelation of details from the secret jury proceedings this winter could prejudice the local citizen pool from which jurors will be chosen for the trial next fall.
> Fravel’s attorneys need pre-trial opportunities to argue to throw out any flawed evidence that the grand jury heard in its closed-door proceedings.
Verbatim
Zachary Bauer, Fravel’s attorney, on why to seal grand jury documents: transcripts: “It is unknown what facts and information from the grand jury transcript and exhibits may be admissible or offered into evidence at trial.”
Why secrecy?
In the British-derived U.S. judicial system, grand juries are empaneled as an investigative tool to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. The job of these citizen juries is not to find guilt or innocence. A such, grand jury inqireis are lop-sided. Unlike a trial jury, there is no adversarial presentation. That, if there is an indictment, is left for a trial as a further step in the judicial process.
Courtroom profile
Deputies escorted Fravel through an innderground passage from the Winona County jail to Courtroom 1 in the next-door courthouse. He was in an orange jail uniform. Fravel, age 30, listened intently as the judge and discussed motions. He didn’t participate. He appeared emotionless and calm. In the courtroom:
> Phillip Prokopowicz, lead prosecuting attorney, who was hired out of retirement in Dakota County by Karin Sonneman, the elected Winona County attorney, to prosecute the case.
> Zachary Bauer, a criminal defense attorney from Rochester, representing Fravel.
> Nancy Buytentrop, appointed to fill a vacancy on the Winna bench in 2008 and elected to six-year terms in 2010, 2016, and 2022.
> Parents of Kingsbury, from Farmington, and other family.
> Parents of Fravel, from Mabel, and other family.
> News reporters, although no cameras were allowed per an earlier order from Judge Buytentrop.
Case profile
Fravel was arrested in June after a 10-week search for Maddi Kingsbury of Winona. She was his ex-girlfriend and mother of their two young children. Her body was found wrapped on a backroad near Mabel, where Fravel grew up. Fravel was charged in Winona on June 9 but jailed in Rochester because of inadequate facilities in Winona. Later, when construction of a new Winona jail was completed, he was transferred back.