The original idea of a grand jury was to prevent the state (really, the king) from maliciously defaming citizens/subjects, especially ones living far away from

The original idea of a grand jury was to prevent the state (really, the king) from maliciously defaming citizens/subjects, especially ones living far away from the power centers. The system has evolved into one where grand juries will "indict a ham sandwich," as the saying goes. I don't mind the idea of a meaningful check on prosecutors, given that in Common Law they have near total discretion, but the current system ain't it.