In federal court, are grand juries required to determine probable cause to bring charges?

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In federal court, charges are brought only after there is probable cause to believe the accused committed the crime, and the mechanism for making that determination is the grand jury. The Fifth Amendment requires presentment or indictment by a grand jury for capital or otherwise infamous offenses, so the grand jury’s role is to assess whether there is enough evidence to indict. This determination centers on probable cause, not on guilt or innocence, and the proceedings are typically secret, with the prosecutor presenting the case and the defendant not having a full opportunity to inspect or cross-examine at this stage. Because of that constitutional requirement, grand juries are the vehicle through which federal charges are initially validated. The other options don’t fit because the requirement isn’t limited to capital cases or to drug offenses, and a grand jury indictment is the standard method in federal prosecutions.