Florida · statute · Fla. Stat. ch. 905 · 43 active provisions
(1) The grand jury shall consist of no fewer than 15, but no more than 21 persons. The law governing the qualifications, disqualifications, excusals, drawing, summoning, supplying deficiencies, compensation, and procurement of petit jurors apply to grand jurors. In addition, an elected public official is not eligible f…
The state or a person who has been held to answer may challenge the panel or individual grand jurors.
A challenge to the panel may be made only on the ground that the grand jurors were not selected according to law.
(1) The state or a person who has been held to answer may challenge an individual prospective grand juror on the ground that the juror:(a) Does not have the qualifications required by law;(b) Has a state of mind that will prevent him or her from acting impartially and without prejudice to the substantial rights of the…
A challenge or objection to the grand jury may not be made after it has been impaneled and sworn. This section shall not apply to a person who did not know or have reasonable ground to believe, at the time the grand jury was impaneled and sworn, that cases in which the person was or might be involved would be investiga…
Challenges to an individual grand juror or to the panel shall be tried by the court. A challenge to an individual grand juror may be oral, but a challenge to the panel shall be in writing.
If a challenge to the panel is sustained, the grand jury shall be discharged.
A grand juror may excuse herself or himself, be excused by a majority vote of the other grand jurors, or be excused by order of the court on its own motion or on motion of the state attorney, and be relieved from deliberating and voting in any case being investigated by the grand jury in which the party being investiga…
After the grand jury has been impaneled, the court shall appoint one of the grand jurors as foreperson and another to act as foreperson during absence of the foreperson.
A grand jury that has been dismissed may be recalled at any time during the term of the grand jury.
Upon petition of the state attorney or the foreperson of the grand jury acting on behalf of a majority of the grand jurors, the circuit court may extend the term of a grand jury impaneled under this chapter beyond the term in which it was originally impaneled. A grand jury whose term has been extended as provided under…
The clerk shall prepare a list of the names of the grand jurors. After the jury is impaneled, the following oath shall be administered to the jurors:“You, as grand jurors for County do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will diligently inquire into all matters put in your charge and you will make true presentments of…
After the grand jurors are sworn the court shall charge them concerning their duties.
After being charged by the court, the grand jury shall retire to a private place and perform their duties.
The foreperson shall appoint one of the grand jurors as clerk to keep minutes of the proceedings.
The foreperson shall appoint an interpreter to interpret the testimony of any witness who does not speak the English language well enough to be readily understood. The interpreter must take an oath not to disclose any information coming to his or her knowledge, except on order of the court.
The grand jury shall inquire into every offense triable within the county for which any person has been held to answer, if an indictment has not been found or an information or affidavit filed for the offense, and all other indictable offenses triable within the county that are presented to it by the state attorney or…
The grand jury may make presentments for offenses against the criminal laws, whether or not specific punishment is provided for the offense.
(1) No person shall be present at the sessions of the grand jury except the witness under examination, one attorney representing the witness for the sole purpose of advising and consulting with the witness, the state attorney and her or his assistant state attorneys, designated assistants as provided for in s. 27.18, t…
When requested, the court shall advise the grand jury about its legal duties. In its original charge or thereafter the court shall not restrict an investigation of any matter into which the grand jury is by law entitled to inquire.
When requested by the grand jury, the state attorney or his or her designated assistant shall issue process to secure the attendance of witnesses.
The state attorney or an assistant state attorney shall attend sessions of the grand jury to examine witnesses and give legal advice about any matter cognizable by the grand jury. The state attorney may designate one or more assistant state attorneys to accompany and assist the state attorney in the performance of her…
(1) The foreperson of the grand jury shall return to the court a list under his or her hand of all witnesses who have been sworn by the grand jury during the term. The list shall be filed by the clerk of the court.(2) When directed by the grand jury, the clerk shall deliver the minutes of the proceedings to the state a…
A grand juror who knows or has reason to believe that an indictable offense triable within the county has been committed shall report the information to the grand jury and may be sworn as a witness in the investigation.
When an offense has been committed in a county and the circuit court has determined that conditions in that county make it impractical to convene a grand jury, any grand jury within the circuit or in any circuit to which the judge of the circuit court refers the matter may inquire into the offense. If an indictment is…