--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prosecutors have absolutely no control…" description: "\"Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.\" — Lawrence O'Donnell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_control_prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-o_77284.jpg" --- # Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses… ![“Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_control_prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-o_77284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_control_prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-o_77284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_control_prosecutors-have-absolutely-no-control-o_77284.jpg) > “Prosecutors have absolutely no control over what witnesses say when they leave the grand jury room.” [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement highlights the limited authority prosecutors have over witness testimony once they exit a grand jury proceeding, emphasizing the unpredictability of witness statements. **In simple terms:** Prosecutors can't dictate witness remarks post‑grand jury. Key Takeaway Witness autonomy limits prosecutorial control. Themes Legal process Power dynamics Witness rights Judicial transparency Procedural limits Mood cautious analytical skeptical Type observational critical When to use this quote - Preparing for a trial - Evaluating evidence reliability - Strategizing witness questioning - Assessing case strength Key Concepts Grand jury Witness testimony Prosecutorial authority Judicial oversight Practical Applications - Legal strategy development - Risk assessment for prosecution Questions to Reflect On - How can prosecutors mitigate unexpected witness statements? - What safeguards exist to ensure truthful testimony? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [No control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-control/) [Prosecutors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosecutors/) ## Related quotes > [Prosecutors are allowed to cherry-pick what evidence, if any, that they do present to a grand jury. So the grand jury process overall is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-cooper/prosecutors-are-allowed-to-cherry-pick-what-evidence-if-any-that-they/) [Sharon Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-cooper/) > [Each week when you are out on tour, there is one thing you have no control over. It is the tee time you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/each-week-when-you-are-out-on-tour-there-is-one-thing-you-have-no/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [When you're an actor starting out, you have no control. All you can do is prepare the best you can for auditions and turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/when-you-re-an-actor-starting-out-you-have-no-control-all-you-can-do/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) > [I happen to be notorious. That, I have no control over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-happen-to-be-notorious-that-i-have-no-control-over/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [When I ran WCW, I obviously had a lot of control over the business, but when I was in TNA, I had no control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bischoff/when-i-ran-wcw-i-obviously-had-a-lot-of-control-over-the-business-but/) [Eric Bischoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bischoff/) > [I don't have a poker face at all - I have a very, very expressional face, and I have no control over that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floor-jansen/i-don-t-have-a-poker-face-at-all-i-have-a-very-very-expressional-face/) [Floor Jansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floor-jansen/) > [The problem with acting is that there's really no control. You're at the behest of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-whannell/the-problem-with-acting-is-that-there-s-really-no-control-you-re-at/) [Leigh Whannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-whannell/) > [“We can't control on how each day will fall, but we can control how we fall into each day. Learn to make adjustments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/we-can-t-control-on-how-each-day-will-fall-but-we-can-control-how-we/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [On the track, you know what you're capable of, but being at the birth, you have no control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/on-the-track-you-know-what-you-re-capable-of-but-being-at-the-birth/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [As an athlete, I feel like I have a little bit of control - or a lot of control - of the situation. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/as-an-athlete-i-feel-like-i-have-a-little-bit-of-control-or-a-lot-of/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I think things happen, and we have no control over them, and what you take from them is really what is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fantastic-negrito/i-think-things-happen-and-we-have-no-control-over-them-and-what-you/) [Fantastic Negrito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fantastic-negrito/) > [The biggest stress for me at New York Magazine was when I was a middle-of-the-pack editor, and I had no control over my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-coles/the-biggest-stress-for-me-at-new-york-magazine-was-when-i-was-a/) [Joanna Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-coles/) > [“She wanted to sit in the pub with him the way Sam did with Steve, the way Matty and Karen had done last weekend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/she-wanted-to-sit-in-the-pub-with-him-the-way-sam-did-with-steve-the/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [I've got no control over the logistics of who pays who what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leighton-vander-esch/i-ve-got-no-control-over-the-logistics-of-who-pays-who-what/) [Leighton Vander Esch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leighton-vander-esch/) > [I know how loyal I was to Coach Blatt, and the people that know me understand that. I have no control over what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyronn-lue/i-know-how-loyal-i-was-to-coach-blatt-and-the-people-that-know-me/) [Tyronn Lue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyronn-lue/) ## More by Lawrence O'Donnell > [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The question for the Republicans running the confirmation hearings in the United States Senate is whose rules are they going to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-question-for-the-republicans-running-the-confirmation-hearings-in/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ In this case, the government will essentially be run by the people who are running it now. The top level \[Barack\] Obama appointees will… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/in-this-case-the-government-will-essentially-be-run-by-the-people-who/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I've never understood the value of putting someone on television to lie, knowing that they're going to lie ahead of time, knowing that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-ve-never-understood-the-value-of-putting-someone-on-television-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [The Trump view of immigration defies our history. Immigration is a transaction that has historically benefited the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-trump-view-of-immigration-defies-our-history-immigration-is-a/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [ I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She \[Hillary Clinton\] is saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-don-t-think-anybody-knows-it-was-russia-that-broke-into-the-dnc-she/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [If a reader comes across a story that makes them cry, you can be sure that the writer felt every single thing that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/if-a-reader-comes-across-a-story-that-makes-them-cry-you-can-be-sure/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [National security advisors are not there to be advocates, generally. They're not there to be partisans, they're not there to be ideologues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/national-security-advisors-are-not-there-to-be-advocates-generally/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Never once has Republican world said hey, maybe we should look into how police officers are carrying out their solemn public responsibility to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/never-once-has-republican-world-said-hey-maybe-we-should-look-into/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [When Ronald Reagan nominated Jeff Sessions for federal district court judgeship, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his nomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/when-ronald-reagan-nominated-jeff-sessions-for-federal-district-court/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Show business comes with wonderfully long vacations, like the life of a college professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/show-business-comes-with-wonderfully-long-vacations-like-the-life-of/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [It is amazing that Jeff Sessions is still in the job. Any self-respecting Attorney General of the United States would have publicly resigned as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/it-is-amazing-that-jeff-sessions-is-still-in-the-job-any-self/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Melania Trump's husband tweeted this: "Arianna Huffington is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/melania-trump-s-husband-tweeted-this-arianna-huffington-is/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [I think a lot of people on both sides have extremely naive views of what government is capable of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-think-a-lot-of-people-on-both-sides-have-extremely-naive-views-of/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) [Explore all 214 Lawrence O'Donnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. 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