{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-215.6.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-215.6.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-215.6.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-215.6.html"}],"law_id":82203,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82203,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.6","catch_line":"Role and presence of special counsel; examination of witnesses; sworn investigators","history":"1983, c. 543; 2014, c. 389.","full_text":"Special counsel may be present during the investigatory stage of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceeding and may examine any witness who is called to testify or produce evidence. The examination of a witness by special counsel shall in no way affect the right of any grand juror to examine the witness.\n\t\tAt the request of special counsel, the presiding judge shall designate specialized personnel for investigative purposes. Such personnel shall be designated as a sworn investigator and shall be administered an oath to maintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction grand jury. A sworn investigator is permitted to discuss multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceedings with any other sworn investigator or special counsel and may participate in multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceedings at the request of special counsel or the grand jury. Any specialized personnel who have been administered an oath to maintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction grand jury before July 1, 2014, and who continue to serve in that position are deemed to be sworn investigators under this section.\n\t\tSpecial counsel and sworn investigators, however, may not be present at any time during the deliberations of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury except when the grand jury requests the legal advice of special counsel as to specific questions of law.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":294614,"text":"Special counsel may be present during the investigatory stage of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceeding and may examine any witness who is called to testify or produce evidence. The examination of a witness by special counsel shall in no way affect the right of any grand juror to examine the witness.\n\t\tAt the request of special counsel, the presiding judge shall designate specialized personnel for investigative purposes. Such personnel shall be designated as a sworn investigator and shall be administered an oath to maintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction grand jury. A sworn investigator is permitted to discuss multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceedings with any other sworn investigator or special counsel and may participate in multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceedings at the request of special counsel or the grand jury. Any specialized personnel who have been administered an oath to maintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction grand jury before July 1, 2014, and who continue to serve in that position are deemed to be sworn investigators under this section.\n\t\tSpecial counsel and sworn investigators, however, may not be present at any time during the deliberations of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury except when the grand jury requests the legal advice of special counsel as to specific questions of law.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15227,"edition_id":1,"name":"Multi-Jurisdiction Grand Juries","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14961,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:11","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:11","permalink":{"id":168815,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15227,"identifier":"4","token":"19.2\/13\/4","url":"\/19.2\/13\/4\/","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":77143,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.1","catch_line":"Functions of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury","url":"\/19.2-215.1\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.1","metadata":false},{"id":57982,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.10","catch_line":"Participation by Office of Attorney General; assistance of special counsel permitted in certain prosecutions","url":"\/19.2-215.10\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.10","metadata":false},{"id":76814,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.11","catch_line":"Discharge of grand jury","url":"\/19.2-215.11\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.11","metadata":false},{"id":83099,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.2","catch_line":"Application for such grand jury","url":"\/19.2-215.2\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.2","metadata":false},{"id":72986,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.3","catch_line":"When impaneled; impaneling order","url":"\/19.2-215.3\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.3","metadata":false},{"id":65310,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.4","catch_line":"Number and qualifications of jurors; grand jury list; when convened; compensation of jurors","url":"\/19.2-215.4\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.4","metadata":false},{"id":73674,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.5","catch_line":"Subpoena power; counsel for witness; oath","url":"\/19.2-215.5\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.5","metadata":false},{"id":82203,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.6","catch_line":"Role and presence of special counsel; examination of witnesses; sworn investigators","url":"\/19.2-215.6\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.6","metadata":false},{"id":78523,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.7","catch_line":"Warnings given to witnesses; when witness in contempt; use of testimony compelled after witness invokes right against self-incrimination","url":"\/19.2-215.7\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.7","metadata":false},{"id":75289,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.8","catch_line":"Returning a \"true bill\" of indictment; jurisdiction to be set out","url":"\/19.2-215.8\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.8","metadata":false},{"id":69064,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.9","catch_line":"Court reporter provided; safekeeping of transcripts, notes, etc.; when disclosure permitted; access to record of testimony and evidence","url":"\/19.2-215.9\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":73674,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.5","catch_line":"Subpoena power; counsel for witness; oath","url":"\/19.2-215.5\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.5","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":78523,"structure_id":15227,"section_number":"19.2-215.7","catch_line":"Warnings given to witnesses; when witness in contempt; use of testimony compelled after witness invokes right against self-incrimination","url":"\/19.2-215.7\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.7","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-215.6\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1983. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 543 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1983 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 2014, chapter 389<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":77143,"section_number":"19.2-215.1","catch_line":"Functions of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-215.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168845,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82203,"identifier":"19.2-215.6","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.6","url":"\/19.2-215.6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-215.6\/","token":"19.2\/13\/4\/19.2-215.6","dublin_core":{"Title":"Role and presence of special counsel; examination of witnesses; sworn investigators","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-215.6","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Special counsel<\/span> may be present during the investigatory stage of a multi-jurisdiction<\/span> grand jury<\/span> proceeding and may examine any witness<\/span> who is called to testify or produce evidence<\/span>. The examination of a witness<\/span> by special counsel<\/span> shall in no way affect the right of any grand juror to examine the witness<\/span>.\n\t\tAt the request of special counsel<\/span>, the presiding judge<\/span> shall designate specialized personnel for investigative purposes. Such personnel shall be designated as a sworn investigator and shall be administered an oath<\/span> to maintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction<\/span> grand jury<\/span>. A sworn investigator is permitted to discuss multi-jurisdiction<\/span> grand jury<\/span> proceedings with any other sworn investigator or special counsel<\/span> and may participate in multi-jurisdiction<\/span> grand jury<\/span> proceedings at the request of special counsel<\/span> or the grand jury<\/span>. Any specialized personnel who have been administered an oath<\/span> to maintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction<\/span> grand jury<\/span> before July 1, 2014, and who continue to serve in that position are deemed to be sworn investigators under this section.\n\t\tSpecial counsel<\/span> and sworn investigators, however, may not be present at any time during the deliberations<\/span> of a multi-jurisdiction<\/span> grand jury<\/span> except when the grand jury<\/span> requests the legal advice of special counsel<\/span> as to specific questions of law<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nROLE AND PRESENCE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL; EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES; SWORN\nINVESTIGATORS (\u00a7 19.2-215.6)\n\nSpecial counsel may be present during the investigatory stage of a\nmulti-jurisdiction grand jury proceeding and may examine any witness who is\ncalled to testify or produce evidence. The examination of a witness by special\ncounsel shall in no way affect the right of any grand juror to examine the\nwitness.\n\t\tAt the request of special counsel, the presiding judge shall designate\nspecialized personnel for investigative purposes. Such personnel shall be\ndesignated as a sworn investigator and shall be administered an oath to maintain\nthe secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction grand jury. A sworn\ninvestigator is permitted to discuss multi-jurisdiction grand jury proceedings\nwith any other sworn investigator or special counsel and may participate in\nmulti-jurisdiction grand jury proceedings at the request of special counsel or\nthe grand jury. Any specialized personnel who have been administered an oath to\nmaintain the secrecy of all proceedings of the multi-jurisdiction grand jury\nbefore July 1, 2014, and who continue to serve in that position are deemed to be\nsworn investigators under this section.\n\t\tSpecial counsel and sworn investigators, however, may not be present at any\ntime during the deliberations of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury except when the\ngrand jury requests the legal advice of special counsel as to specific questions\nof law.\n\nHISTORY: 1983, c. 543; 2014, c. 389.","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}}