Grand Jury Process In Virginia

Everything You Need to Know About Grand Juries

What is a Grand Jury?

A Grand Jury is a group of 5 to 7 citizens who are summoned by the Circuit Court to consider bills of indictment prepared by the attorney for the state or county.

Functions of a Grand Jury

A grand jury has two main functions:

1. To consider bills of indictment prepared by the attorney for the state or county.
2. To investigate crimes and issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents.

Selection and Summoning of Grand Jurors

Grand jurors are selected randomly from a pool of eligible citizens. The pool of eligible citizens includes all registered voters who are over the age of 18 and who have not been convicted of a felony.

Grand jurors are summoned to serve by the Circuit Court. The court must send out a summons at least 10 days before the grand jury is scheduled to meet.

Grand Jury Proceedings

Grand jury proceedings are secret. The only people who are allowed to be present in the grand jury room are the grand jurors, the court reporter, and the judge.

The grand jury hears evidence from witnesses and reviews documents to determine whether there is enough evidence to indict a person for a crime.

If the grand jury finds that there is enough evidence, they will issue an indictment. An indictment is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime.

If the grand jury does not find that there is enough evidence, they will dismiss the case.

The history of Virginia's grand jury system extends back to early colonial times. The first grand jury in Virginia was convened in 1607 at Jamestown.

The grand jury system has undergone many changes over the years. However, the basic function of the grand jury has remained the same: to protect the rights of individuals by ensuring that they are not charged with a crime unless there is enough evidence to support the charge.