# indict a ham sandwich

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/indict-a-ham-sandwich
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Of a grand jury: to charge a person with a crime, despite a perceived lack of evidence.

## Examples

- The prosecutor could indict a ham sandwich if he really wanted to.
- Some people believe a powerful prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich.
- The grand jury is so weak they might indict a ham sandwich today.
- Critics argue that the local grand jury is so compliant that they would indict a ham sandwich if the district attorney asked them to.
- Lawyers often joke about the system's flaws, saying a grand jury follows the prosecutor so blindly they would even indict a ham sandwich.
- The legal system faces intense scrutiny when observers claim that a biased prosecutor possesses enough influence to indict a ham sandwich before a grand jury.

## Origin

Possibly alluding to ham sandwich (“something utterly commonplace, of modest value”). The term was popularized by the American jurist Sol Wachtler (born 1930) who used it in 1985 shortly after his appointment as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals when expressing the view that the use of grand juries to bring indictments should be abolished: see the 1985 quotation. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.