# Justice Manual § 9-11.150: Subpoenaing Targets of the Investigation

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.150

## Section

- **Citation:** Justice Manual § 9-11.150
- **Heading:** Subpoenaing Targets of the Investigation
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** DOJ Justice Manual / Title 9: Criminal / 9-11.000 - Grand Jury / Justice Manual § 9-11.150

## Text

A grand jury may properly subpoena a subject or a target of the investigation and question the target about his or her involvement in the crime under investigation.
See
United States v. Wong
, 431 U.S. 174, 179 n. 8 (1977);
United States v. Washington
, 431 U.S. 181, 190 n. 6 (1977);
United States v. Mandujano
, 425 U.S. 564, 573-75 and 584 n. 9 (1976);
United States v. Dionisio
, 410 U.S. 1, 10 n. 8 (1973). However, in the context of particular cases such a subpoena may carry the appearance of unfairness. Because the potential for misunderstanding is great, before a known "target" (as defined in
JM 9-11.151
) is subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury about his or her involvement in the crime under investigation, an effort should be made to secure the target's voluntary appearance. If a voluntary appearance cannot be obtained, the target should be subpoenaed only after the United States Attorney or the responsible Assistant Attorney General have approved the subpoena. In determining whether to approve a subpoena for a "target," careful attention will be paid to the following considerations:

The importance to the successful conduct of the grand jury's investigation of the testimony or other information sought;
Whether the substance of the testimony or other information sought could be provided by other witnesses; and
Whether the questions the prosecutor and the grand jurors intend to ask or the other information sought would be protected by a valid claim of privilege.

[cited in
JM 9-11.153
] [updated April 2018]

## Nearby sections

- [Justice Manual § 9-11.010 Introduction](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.010.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.101 Powers and Limitations of Grand Juries—The Functions of a Grand Jury](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.101.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.120 Power of a Grand Jury Limited by Its Function](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.120.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.121 Venue Limitations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.121.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.130 Limitation on Naming Persons as Unindicted Co-Conspirators](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.130.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.140 Limitation on Grand Jury Subpoenas](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.140.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.141 Fair Credit Reporting Act and Grand Jury Subpoenas](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.141.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.142 Grand Jury Subpoenas for Financial Records](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.142.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.150 Subpoenaing Targets of the Investigation](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.150.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.151 Advice of "Rights" of Grand Jury Witnesses](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.151.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.152 Requests by Subjects and Targets to Testify Before the Grand Jury](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.152.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.153 Notification of Targets](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.153.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.154 Advance Assertions of an Intention to Claim the Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Compulsory Self-Incrimination](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.154.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-11.155 Notification to Targets when Target Status Ends](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.155.md)

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-11.150. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.