A sealed indictment is when a Grand Jury decides there is enough probable cause to try a person for a felony. While many indictments are made part of the public record, a sealed indictment is kept secret until specific conditions have been met. Typically, one of those conditions is that a person has been taken into custody. The process for a sealed indictment is the same as for a public indictment, except it is not immediately made part of the public record. The district attorney presents evidence that indicates you committed the crime. There is no defense presented and the Grand Jury votes. There are several reasons a district attorney will request that an indictment be sealed, including: An ongoing sting operation: If you are accused of a felony that is one of many in an ongoing sting operation, your indictment will be sealed until the Grand Jury hears all of the cases associated with the sting operation. For example, when a Drug Task Force spends months using a wired informant to make drug buys from multiple people including you the indictments will be sealed. This will prevent the person named in the first indictment from warning everyone else about what is coming, giving them enough time to flee. You are not in custody: Some people are quite savvy when it comes to searching public records. If authorities believe you will flee when you know you are facing felony charges, the indictment will be sealed to prevent you from finding out that it exists. Once you are in custody, it will be made part of the public record. You are famous: Celebrities and politicians are often afforded special privileges when it comes to court proceedings. This is to help protect their privacy, and the privacy of their family members, from media or stalker attention. If you are a public figure, your indictment will be sealed and any public disclosures will be carefully managed. You are wealthy: If you have the means to escape the country, the district attorney might typically request a sealed indictment. Once you are in custody, you may be required to give up your passport before being allowed to make bond. You pose a threat to the jurors: In rare cases, if you are connected to an organized crime group, your indictment could be sealed to prevent any harm to the jurors. Sealing it allows the Grand Jury to safely complete all cases during a particular session and then disband before you know what is coming. This removes your opportunity to harm or threaten jury members.