Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-06
The New Grand Jury Law.


ton to grand juries, recently passed by the
General Assembly aud approved by the Gov
ernor:
Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That
sec ions one, two, three, four, five and nine Of
the two hundredth chapter Of the Code 81 1873,
be a,ne"ded and re enacted so rs to read us iul-
lows
Sec. |. There shall be q grand jury At each
term of circuit court, and At any term OF Il cor
puratiun court upon the previous order 81 such
court, or Of the Judge thereo! in @"calion.
Sec 2 1t shall be the duty OF tbs, jude Of the
county or corporation court oi each county ana
city in the State in the month vi Jnl!uAry III each
year, or rs soon thereafter Us practlcaDic 10 sc
lcct from the qualified voters OF each township
of such county or ward vi such clly, not less
than twenty nor more than one hundred persons
of honesty intelligence and good dcnicaror, and
suitable in Nil respects to act rs grand jurors
and tn = judg oi the corporation court shall fur.
rish the clerk OF his court, and the Judge al III"
county court shall furnish the clerk ui the CIR
cult court Of such county with list ol Inc per
SONS selected AIDE oil by town hips or wards,
As the Case may be- 1t shall &c the duty OF the
clerk of such corporation or circuit court there
upur to write the inmcS of each of such persons
on separate slips oi paper, placing The haiIirS !"
the residents If each towns Up or ward together,
and fl ON these in the presence OF the attorney
for the Commonwealth, and II be he unable |"
attend, then in the presence OF The Judge vi sueh
court or n commissioner in Ghancery th':reof, 10
select by lot ~ maHy persons rs may DC hcce,-
siry for the formation Of grand Jurcs pi Such
county or city and in drawing such persons Ia
serve grand jurors, an equal numbar rs near
rs may be, and having reference 20 the populn-
tiua OF the several townships or wafd:, snail ."
drawn from the lists from each township or Ward.
Sec 3. 1t shall be the duty of tn" clerk OF sur.
circuit or corporation court ut least twenty days
before each term of the clrcult court, and before
each one of the terms Of the corporation court
designated under the first section OF This chapter
for the empaneling Of h grand jury, to pi"ce IN
the hands of the officer of such court lists OF the
grand Jurors selected by lot provided In the
previous section. mad" olfby townships or wards,
as the case may be accordn 10 the = ace 81 res
idcncc of the several grand jurors, and embrac-
ing sufficient mum Der Of such persons to form
such grand jury; and il shall thercupon DC the
duty of such officer to summon the persons men
toned in such lists to attend on the hrSt day ol
such term to act as grand jurors.
Sec 4. For every grand jury IN the circuit
c urts and Tor two terms in zach year OF the cor
poration courts, such terms To be specially de-
signated by such corporation court: by order en-
tered Of record, which order may be changed
from time to time ut the discretion of such
courts there shall be summoned tWenty-lour
ctiz-ns of this State, of the county or corpora
ton in which The court is to be held and in 9th
er respects qualified jurors, and not constable,
ordinary keepers, overseers OF roads nor owners
nor occupiers of grist mills. The number of per
sons to serve on such grand iurles may, by di-
rection of the court its clerk be limited to not
less than sixteen. For the grand juries for all
other terms of the corporation cour.s there snail
be summoned ten citiZers of the State with like
qualifications and subject to the exceptions here
inbefore stated and the urt may, by direction
to its clerk limit the number OF persons TO serve
thereon to not less than six.
Sec. 5 Any sixteen or more o. such persons
summoned to the terms of said circuit courts,
and to the two specially designated terms OF the
corporation courts, and any six or more OF
such persons summoned t. any other term oi
such corporation courts, shall be u competent
grand Jury. If sufficient number do not attend,
then the court shall cause sufficient number of
Jurors to be returned from the bystandcrs, or
from the county or corporation at large, and tor
that purpose may direct venlre tsclas to any lit
person whose duty it shall be to execute and re.
turn the same according to the exlgency thereof.
All of sad jurors shall be summoned from u list
to be furnished the officer by the judge, unless
the Judge shall deem it proper to dispense with
said list.
Sec. 6. At least twelve of the grand jurors of
the grand juries attending the circuit court and
the two specially designated terms Of the c"rpo-
ration courts and vt least five of The grand jurors
of the grand uries attending al any other term
of the corporation courts, must concur Ill lndlng
or making an Indictment or presentment. Iney
may make presentment upon. the Information
of two or more of their own body; and when
presentment is SO made, or is made on the tcsti-
mony of witnesses called on by the grand jury
or sent to it by the court the names of the grand
Jurors giving the information, or OF the Witness
es on whose testimony the presentment Is made
or the Indictment is found shall be written Ut
the foot Of such presentment or indictment.
This act shall be IN force from It's passage.