Six Kentucky football players made another move through the criminal justice system Wednesday morning. Each charged with first degree burglary, the defendants waived their right to a preliminary hearing in Fayette District Court, moving the case to a grand jury.
Preliminary hearings offer an opportunity for defendants to argue the merits of their case in a public court of law. Rarely used, now prosecutors will argue their case to a grand jury in closed-door proceedings.
Prosecutors can take up to 60 days to establish a case. If there is enough evidence against the football players to convince nine of 12 jurors, the grand jury will hand down an indictment and the case will proceed to trial.