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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62594</law_id><section_number>19.2-197</section_number><catch_line>Foreman of grand jury; oaths of jurors and witnesses</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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">court</span> shall select a <span class="dictionary">foreman</span> from among the persons summoned who attend who shall be sworn as follows: &#x201C;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)?&#x201D; The other grand jurors shall afterwards be sworn as follows: &#x201C;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)?&#x201D; 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></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-152; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 2024, c. 713.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
