{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-197.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-197.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-197.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-197.html"}],"law_id":62594,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62594,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-197","catch_line":"Foreman of grand jury; oaths of jurors and witnesses","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-152; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 2024, c. 713.","full_text":"The court shall select a foreman from among the persons summoned who attend who shall be sworn as follows: &#8220;Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will diligently inquire into and carefully consider all such matters that come to your attention concerning this present service, and do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will indict no person through prejudice or ill-will, nor leave any unindicted through fear or favor, but in all your presentments you will present the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, (so help you God)?&#8221; The other grand jurors shall afterwards be sworn as follows: &#8220;The oath that your foreman has taken on his part, do you and each of you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will observe and keep the same on your part, (so help you God)?&#8221; Any witness testifying before the grand jury may be sworn by the foreman.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228246,"text":"The court shall select a foreman from among the persons summoned who attend who shall be sworn as follows: &#8220;Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will diligently inquire into and carefully consider all such matters that come to your attention concerning this present service, and do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will indict no person through prejudice or ill-will, nor leave any unindicted through fear or favor, but in all your presentments you will present the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, (so help you God)?&#8221; The other grand jurors shall afterwards be sworn as follows: &#8220;The oath that your foreman has taken on his part, do you and each of you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will observe and keep the same on your part, (so help you God)?&#8221; Any witness testifying before the grand jury may be sworn by the foreman.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14962,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regular Grand Juries","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14961,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:07","permalink":{"id":168715,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14962,"identifier":"2","token":"19.2\/13\/2","url":"\/19.2\/13\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14961,"edition_id":1,"name":"Grand Juries","identifier":"13","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:07","permalink":{"id":168699,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14961,"identifier":"13","token":"19.2\/13","url":"\/19.2\/13\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":67807,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-193","catch_line":"Number of regular grand juries","url":"\/19.2-193\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-193","metadata":false},{"id":84278,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-194","catch_line":"When and how grand jurors to be selected and summoned; lists to be delivered to clerk","url":"\/19.2-194\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-194","metadata":false},{"id":79985,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-195","catch_line":"Number and qualifications of grand jurors","url":"\/19.2-195\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-195","metadata":false},{"id":57374,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-196","catch_line":"How deficiency of jurors supplied","url":"\/19.2-196\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-196","metadata":false},{"id":62594,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-197","catch_line":"Foreman of grand jury; oaths of jurors and witnesses","url":"\/19.2-197\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-197","metadata":false},{"id":57080,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-198","catch_line":"When new foreman or juror may be sworn in","url":"\/19.2-198\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-198","metadata":false},{"id":69742,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-199","catch_line":"Judge to charge grand jury","url":"\/19.2-199\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-199","metadata":false},{"id":65226,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-200","catch_line":"Duties of grand jury","url":"\/19.2-200\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-200","metadata":false},{"id":59094,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-201","catch_line":"Officers to give information of violation of penal laws to attorney for Commonwealth","url":"\/19.2-201\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-201","metadata":false},{"id":73260,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-202","catch_line":"How indictments found and presentment made","url":"\/19.2-202\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-202","metadata":false},{"id":70795,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-203","catch_line":"Indictments ignored may be sent to another grand jury; what irregularities not to vitiate indictment, etc","url":"\/19.2-203\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-203","metadata":false},{"id":77326,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-204","catch_line":"Penalties on officers and jurors for failure of duty","url":"\/19.2-204\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-204","metadata":false},{"id":59742,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-205","catch_line":"Pay and mileage of grand jurors","url":"\/19.2-205\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-205","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":57374,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-196","catch_line":"How deficiency of jurors supplied","url":"\/19.2-196\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-196","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":57080,"structure_id":14962,"section_number":"19.2-198","catch_line":"When new foreman or juror may be sworn in","url":"\/19.2-198\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-198","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-197\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 366; in 1975, chapter 495; in 2024, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?241+ful+CHAP0713\">713<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168733,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62594,"identifier":"19.2-197","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-197","url":"\/19.2-197\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-197\/","token":"19.2\/13\/2\/19.2-197","dublin_core":{"Title":"Foreman of grand jury; oaths of jurors and witnesses","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-197","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall select a <span class=\"dictionary\">foreman<\/span> from among the persons summoned who attend who shall be sworn as follows: &#8220;Do you solemnly swear (or <span class=\"dictionary\">affirm<\/span>) that you will diligently inquire into and carefully consider all such matters that come to your attention concerning this present service, and do you solemnly swear (or <span class=\"dictionary\">affirm<\/span>) that you will indict no person through prejudice or ill-will, nor leave any unindicted through fear or favor, but in all your <span class=\"dictionary\">presentments<\/span> you will present the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, (so help you God)?&#8221; The other grand jurors shall afterwards be sworn as follows: &#8220;The <span class=\"dictionary\">oath<\/span> that your <span class=\"dictionary\">foreman<\/span> has taken on his part, do you and each of you solemnly swear (or <span class=\"dictionary\">affirm<\/span>) that you will observe and keep the same on your part, (so help you God)?&#8221; Any <span class=\"dictionary\">witness<\/span> testifying before the <span class=\"dictionary\">grand jury<\/span> may be sworn by the <span class=\"dictionary\">foreman<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFOREMAN OF GRAND JURY; OATHS OF JURORS AND WITNESSES (\u00a7 19.2-197)\n\nThe court shall select a foreman from among the persons summoned who attend who\nshall be sworn as follows: &#8220;Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you\nwill diligently inquire into and carefully consider all such matters that come\nto your attention concerning this present service, and do you solemnly swear (or\naffirm) that you will indict no person through prejudice or ill-will, nor leave\nany unindicted through fear or favor, but in all your presentments you will\npresent the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, (so help you\nGod)?&#8221; The other grand jurors shall afterwards be sworn as follows:\n&#8220;The oath that your foreman has taken on his part, do you and each of you\nsolemnly swear (or affirm) that you will observe and keep the same on your part,\n(so help you God)?&#8221; Any witness testifying before the grand jury may be\nsworn by the foreman.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-152; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 2024, c. 713.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}