The United States v. Sells Engineering, Inc., et al., 1982 case involved the question of whether or not government attorneys in civil divisions could access grand jury materials from a related criminal investigation without first obtaining court permission. The Supreme Court ruled that Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which restricts disclosure of matters occurring before a grand jury, applies to Justice Department lawyers who were not involved in the criminal proceedings as much as it does to outside parties. This means they must seek court approval before accessing these materials for use in civil cases. The decision was based on concerns about preserving secrecy and protecting innocent accused persons from unwarranted prosecution.

The dissenting opinion in the United States v. Sells Engineering, Inc., case argued that the majority's decision to limit government attorneys' access to grand jury materials was unnecessarily restrictive and could potentially hinder effective law enforcement. The dissenters believed that there should be a presumption of validity when it comes to prosecutors seeking such information for civil cases, as long as they are part of the same department or agency involved in the criminal investigation. They contended that this would not compromise grand jury secrecy because these officials have an obligation not to disclose confidential information improperly. Furthermore, they pointed out that courts still retain supervisory power over any potential abuses by prosecutors and can intervene if necessary.