Prosecutors will convene a special grand jury to speed up the investigation into the police shooting of an unarmed man in Over-the-Rhine.

        Even so, prosecutors do not expect to present evidence to the grand jury until next week at the earliest.

        They say it will take at least that long to prepare their case and to evaluate all the evidence still being gathered by Cincinnati police investigators.

        “It will be sooner rather than later,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen said of the grand jury's schedule.

        “But it won't be before Monday.”

        The grand jury will review the evidence and hear from witnesses before deciding whether a crime was committed Saturday when Officer Steve Roach shot and killed 19-year-old Timothy Thomas.

        If the grand jurors find probable cause that a crime occurred, they could sign an indictment detailing the criminal charges.

        But none of that can happen until prosecutors convene a grand jury to handle the case.

        Hamilton County usually keeps two grand juries working at all times.

        The juries work for three weeks and then disband.

        The grand juries' terms both run out today, so new juries are slated to begin Monday.

        But to speed things along in the Thomas case, prosecutors will ask one of the cur rent grand juries to remain on the job just for the Thomas case and cases related to the recent civil unrest.

        This special grand jury will be ready to hear evidence as soon as prosecutors are ready to present it.

        Mr. Allen said the volume of riot-related cases makes it necessary to have a grand jury that hears only those cases.

        A similar arrangement was made earlier this year during the investigation into the death of Roger Owensby Jr.

        Mr. Owensby died of asphyxiation when police arrested him Nov. 7. Two officers are facing criminal charges stemming from that incident.

        In the Thomas case, Mr. Allen has assigned two of his top prosecutors — Thomas Longano and Mark Piepmeier — to present the case to the grand jury.

        Both have handled some of the biggest cases of the past decade, and Mr. Piepmeier led the statewide team that prosecuted the leaders of the Lucasville prison riot.

Tell us what you think... | Read what others are saying
Hardest hit areas (288k) | Violent week's timeline (320k)
Curfew restores calm
How curfew works
List of cancellations
Good Friday traditions disrupted
NAACP leader calls for justice
Petty traffic citations built up to fatal confrontation
Police 'fed up,' union chief says
Injured officer returns to job
Quiet streets best remedy for tired cops
Curfew shuts down nightlife
Mayor's decision draws criticism
Most grudgingly accept curfew
Curfew brings sounds of silence
Sports disrupted by curfew
Curfew doesn't affect Reds yet
Griffey 'understands' rioters' frustrations
Over-the-Rhine residents express dismay
Suburban reaction more disgust than alarm
Dangers add new fears for children
Merchants focus on reopening
Big businesses offer aid, jobs
RADEL: Teaching peace is essential
Religious leaders call for listening, change
Bush offers to help
Federal officials here over unrest
National media turns spotlight on Cincinnati
New hot line to report crime
Police move with the crowds
Prosecutor vows to get tough with rioters
Special grand jury to hear case
Thomas service moved to handle larger crowd