Title 15

All grand jurors in the courts of this state shall be disqualified to act or serve in any case or matter when such jurors are related by consanguinity or affinity to any party interested in the result of the case or matter within the sixth degree as computed according to the civi…

(a) The duties of a grand jury shall be confined to such matters and things as it is required to perform by the Constitution and laws or by order of any superior court judge of the superior court of the county. (b)(1) The grand jury shall at least once in each calendar year inspe…

Grand jurors shall disclose everything which occurs in their service whenever it becomes necessary in any court of record in this state. (Laws 1812, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 277; Code 1863, § 3722; Code 1868, § 3746; Code 1873, § 3799; Code 1882, § 3799; Civil Code 1895, § 5200; Pe…

Admissions and communications among grand jurors are excluded as evidence on grounds of public policy. (Orig. Code 1863, § 3720; Code 1868, § 3744; Code 1873, § 3797; Code 1882, § 3797; Penal Code 1895, § 826; Penal Code 1910, § 830; Code 1933, § 59-303.)

Grand jurors have a duty to examine or make presentments of such offenses as may or shall come to their knowledge or observation after they have been sworn. Additionally, they have the right and power and it is their duty as jurors to make presentments of any violations of the la…

Grand juries shall carefully inspect the sanitary condition of the jails of their respective counties at each regular inspection provided for in Code Section 15-12-71 and in their general presentments shall make such recommendations to the county governing authorities as may be n…

Grand juries are authorized to recommend to the court the publication of the whole or any part of their general presentments and to prescribe the manner of publication. When the recommendation is made, the judge shall order the publication as recommended. Reasonable charges there…

(a) The judges of the superior courts are authorized and empowered to transfer the investigation by a grand jury from the county where the crime was committed to the grand jury in any other county in this state when it appears that a qualified grand jury cannot be had for the pur…

(a) This Code section shall apply to all counties of this state which according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any future such census have a population of 150,000 or more. (b) In any county of this state referred to in subsection (a) of this Code section, a sten…

On and after July 1, 2012, trial juries shall be chosen from a county master jury list. The presiding judge shall order the clerk to choose the number of jurors necessary to conduct the business of the court. The clerk shall choose the names of persons to serve as trial jurors fo…

(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this Code section, in all civil actions in the state courts, each party may demand a full panel of 12 competent and impartial jurors from which to select a jury. When one or more of the regular panel of trial jurors is absent or for a…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, in all civil actions in the state courts, each party may only demand a panel of 12 competent and impartial jurors from which to select a jury. When one or more of the regular panel of trial jurors is absent or for any…

On and after July 1, 2012, when from challenge or from any other cause there is not a sufficient number of persons in attendance to complete a panel of trial jurors, the clerk shall choose and cause to be summoned additional prospective trial jurors. (Code 1981, § 15-12-124.1, en…

For the trial of misdemeanors in all courts, each party may demand a full panel of 12 competent and impartial jurors from which to select a jury. When one or more of the regular panel of trial jurors is absent or for any reason disqualified, the judge, at the request of counsel f…

On and after July 1, 2012, when the regular panels of trial jurors cannot be furnished to make up panels of the correct number from which to take juries in misdemeanor cases because of the absence of any of such panels, where jurors, or any part of a panel, are engaged in the con…

On and after July 1, 2012, whenever the session of any court of record is prolonged beyond the week or period for which jurors were electronically selected at the close of the preceding term, or where the judge anticipates that the same is about to be so prolonged, or where from …

(a) On and after July 1, 2012, in any county of this state where there is located any court or courts having county-wide jurisdiction concurrent with the superior courts of this state to try any, all, or any type of case not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the superior court…

In the examination of individual jurors by counsel for the parties in civil and criminal cases, as provided in Code Section 15-12-164, applicable to felonies, and Code Section 15-12-133, applicable to all cases, it shall be the duty of the court, upon the request of either party,…

Each panel, prior to commencing voir dire, shall take the following oath: ‘‘You shall give true answers to all questions as may be asked by the court or its authority, including all questions asked by the parties or their attorneys, concerning your qualifications as jurors in the…

State, 176 Ga. App. 32, 335 S.E.2d 150 (1985). Court may require counsel to limit interrogation to matters dealing directly with specific case to be tried. Reid v. State, 129 Ga. App. 657, 200 S.E.2d 454 (1973). Although examination of prospective jurors by counsel is very broad …

In all civil cases it shall be good cause of challenge that a juror has expressed an opinion as to which party ought to prevail or that he has a wish or desire as to which shall succeed. Upon challenge made by either party upon either of these grounds, it shall be the duty of the…

(a) All trial jurors in the courts of this state shall be disqualified to act or serve in any case or matter when such jurors are related by consanguinity or affinity to any party interested in the result of the case or matter within the sixth degree as computed according to the …

All inhabitants of a county who are competent jurors in other cases shall be competent jurors in any case in which the county is a party or is interested in its capacity as a corporation or a quasi-corporation. (Orig. Code 1863, § 463; Code 1868, § 525; Code 1873, § 491; Code 188…

Being a citizen or resident of a municipal corporation shall not render a person incompetent to serve as a juror in cases in which the municipal corporation is a party or is interested. (Ga. L. 1874, p. 45, § 1; Ga. L. 1875, p. 96, §§ 1, 2; Code 1882, § 1672f; Civil Code 1895, § …

A member of an electric membership corporation shall not be incompetent, based solely on such membership, to serve as a juror in a case in which the electric membership corporation is a party or is interested; provided, however, that if the judge in such case finds that the natur…

Each panel of the trial jury shall take the following oath: ‘‘You shall well and truly try each case submitted to you during the present term and a true verdict give, according to the law as given you in charge and the opinion you entertain of the evidence produced to you, to the…

Clark, 206 Ga. App. 85, 424 S.E.2d 368 (1992). Other Substitution of indictment permissible. — If on a prosecution for the offense of rape, after a plea of not guilty had been entered on an indictment, and after the voir dire questions had been propounded to a panel of 12 jurors,…

The following oath shall be administered to all bailiffs on duty in any court in this state conducting a jury trial: ‘‘You shall take all juries committed to your charge to the jury room or some other private and convenient place designated by the court and you shall not allow th…

The governing authority of each county shall provide facilities for the impaneling of juries and for their deliberations. Jury deliberation rooms shall ensure the privacy of the jurors and include space, furnishings, and facilities conducive to reaching a fair verdict. The delibe…

(a) At any time during the trial of a civil or criminal case, except in capital cases, either before or during jury deliberation, the judge may, in his discretion, allow the jury to be separated and the members thereof to be dispersed under appropriate instructions. (b) Where dur…

On and after July 1, 2012, when any person stands indicted for a felony, the court shall have impaneled 30 jurors from which the defense and prosecution may strike jurors; provided, however, that in any case in which the state announces its intention to seek the death penalty, th…

The clerk shall provide the prosecuting attorney and the accused with the names and identifying information relative to prospective jurors for the case being tried. (Ga. L. 1855-56, p. 229, § 4; Code 1863, § 4566; Code 1868, § 4586; Code 1873, § 4679; Code 1882, § 4679; Penal Cod…

The accused may, in writing, challenge the array for any cause going to show that it was not fairly or properly impaneled or ought not to be put upon him. The court shall determine the sufficiency of the challenge at once. If sustained, a new panel shall be ordered; if not sustai…

Cwikla v. State, 313 Ga. App. 526, 722 S.E.2d 156 (2012). Juror employed as security guard. — Trial court did not err in refusing to strike for cause a juror who apparently was employed as a private security guard. The decision which held that police officers, employed full-time,…

(a) On voir dire examination in a felony trial, the jurors shall be asked the following questions: (1) ‘‘Have you, for any reason, formed and expressed any opinion in regard to the guilt or innocence of the accused?’’ If the juror answers in the negative, the question in paragrap…

Every person accused of a felony may peremptorily challenge nine of the jurors impaneled to try him or her. The state shall be allowed the same number of peremptory challenges allowed to the accused; provided, however, that in any case in which the state announces its intention t…

If a juror is found competent and is not challenged peremptorily by the state, he shall be put upon the accused. Unless he is challenged peremptorily by the accused, the juror shall be sworn to try the case. (Ga. L. 1855-56, p. 229, § 11; Code 1863, § 4571; Code 1868, § 4591; Cod…

If known to a party or his counsel, any objections to a juror for cause shall be made before the juror is sworn in the case. After a juror has been found competent, no other or further investigation before triers or otherwise shall be had, provided that newly discovered evidence …

Whenever in the opinion of a judge of a superior court any felony trial is likely to be a protracted one, immediately after the jury has been impaneled and sworn the court shall direct the calling of one or more additional jurors to be known as ‘‘alternate jurors.’’ (Ga. L. 1957,…

On and after July 1, 2012, alternate jurors shall be chosen from the same county master jury list and in the same manner and have the same qualifications as the jurors already sworn. They shall be subject to the same examination and challenges. The number of alternate jurors shal…

Alternate jurors shall take the same oath as the jurors already selected. They shall be seated near the jury, with equal opportunity for seeing and hearing the proceedings, and shall attend at all times upon the trial with the jury. They shall obey all orders and admonitions of t…

Upon final submission of the case to the jury, the alternate jurors shall not retire with the jury of 12 for deliberation but may be discharged. However, if the court deems it advisable, it may direct that one or more of the alternate jurors be kept in the custody of the sheriff …

Green v. State, 298 Ga. App. 301, 680 S.E.2d 156 (2009). Trial court, after conducting a proper and thorough inquiry, had ample factual and legal support for the court’s decision to remove a juror and thus did not abuse the court’s discretion. The court found that: (1) the juror …

Clark, 286 Ga. 11, 685 S.E.2d 72, 2009 Ga. LEXIS 643 (2009). No material factor identified under O.C.G.A. § 48-5-299. — Grant of summary judgment to the taxpayers in the taxpayers’ respective assessment appeals was upheld because the county board’s stated basis for increasing the …

All sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, coroners, jailers, constables, and other officers of court shall be liable to all actions and disabilities which they incur in respect of any matter or thing relating to or concerning their respective offices. (Laws 1792, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 576;…

Whenever the sheriff or his deputy is a party to any rule or is interested therein and there is no coroner or other lawful officer of the county to execute the same, it shall be the duty of the judge or justice of the court to appoint pro tempore a special officer to carry out an…