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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84278</law_id><section_number>19.2-194</section_number><catch_line>When and how grand jurors to be selected and summoned; lists to be delivered to clerk</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-215.4</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="13">Grand Juries</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Regular Grand Juries</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or <span class="dictionary">judges</span> regularly presiding in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of each county and city shall annually, in the month of June, July, or August, select from citizens of the county or city at least 60 persons and not more than 120 persons 18 years of age or over, of honesty, intelligence, impartiality, and good demeanor and suitable in all respects to serve as grand jurors, who, except as hereinafter provided, shall be the grand jurors for the county or city from which they are selected for the next 12 months. The <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or <span class="dictionary">judges</span> making the selection shall at once furnish to the clerk of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> a list of those selected for that county or city.
		The clerk, not more than 20 days before the commencement of each term of his <span class="dictionary">court</span> at which a regular <span class="dictionary">grand jury</span> is required, shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a <span class="dictionary">venire</span> facias to the sheriff of his county or city, commanding him to summon not less than five nor more than nine of the persons selected as aforesaid (the number to be designated by the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> by an <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered of record) to be named in the <span class="dictionary">writ</span> to appear on the first day of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to serve as grand jurors. Those persons who are to be summoned shall be randomly selected but no such person shall be required to appear more than once until all the others have been summoned once, nor more than twice until the others have been twice summoned, and so on. The <span class="dictionary">Circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of James City County, or the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> thereof in vacation, shall select the grand jurors for each <span class="dictionary">court</span> from such county and the City of Williamsburg in such proportion from each as he may think proper.
		Any person who has legal <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of and is responsible for a child 16 years of age or younger or a person having a mental or physical impairment requiring continuous care during normal <span class="dictionary">court</span> hours shall be excused from jury service upon his request.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-148; 1960, c. 366; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 262; 1973, cc. 401, 439; 1974, c. 618; 1975, c. 495; 1991, c. 226; 2003, c. 825; 2004, c. 306; 2008, c. 644.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
