Sec. 3. (a) The jurors on a grand jury and one (1) alternate shall be drawn, selected, and impaneled by the procedure set out in IC 33-28-5.

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Terms Used In Indiana Code 35-34-2-3

  • Clerk: means the clerk of the court or a person authorized to perform the clerk's duties. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Juror: A person who is on the jury.
  • Mentally incompetent: means of unsound mind. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Target: means a person who has been charged by information for an offense the grand jury is investigating, or who is a subject of the grand jury investigation. See Indiana Code 35-34-2-1
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
     (b) Whenever the court finds that the original panel was not selected in substantial conformity with the requirements of law for the selection of the panel, the court shall discharge the panel and summon another panel.

     (c) Whenever the court finds that a grand juror:

(1) is disqualified from service under law;

(2) is incapable of performing the juror’s duties because of bias or prejudice;

(3) is guilty of misconduct in the performance of the juror’s duties that might impair the proper functioning of the grand jury;

(4) is under the age of eighteen (18) years;

(5) is not a resident of the county;

(6) is an alien;

(7) is a mentally incompetent person;

(8) is a witness for the prosecution;

(9) has such a state of mind in reference to a target that the juror cannot act impartially and without prejudice to the substantial rights of that person;

(10) holds a juror’s place on the grand jury by reason of the corruption of the officer who selected and impaneled the grand jury; or

(11) has requested or otherwise caused any officer or an officer’s deputy to place the juror upon the grand jury;

the court shall refuse to swear that grand juror or, if the juror has been sworn, shall discharge that grand juror and swear another grand juror.

     (d) After a grand jury has been impaneled, the court that called the grand jury shall appoint one (1) of the grand jurors as foreman and one (1) as clerk. During any absence of the foreman or clerk, the grand jury shall select one (1) of their number to act as foreman or clerk. The clerk shall keep minutes of the grand jury proceedings. The court shall supply a means for recording the evidence presented before the grand jury and all of the other proceedings that occur before the grand jury, except for the deliberations and voting of the grand jury and other discussions when the members of the grand jury are the only persons present in the grand jury room. The evidence and proceedings shall be recorded in the same manner as evidence and proceedings are recorded in the court that impaneled the grand jury. When ordered by the court, a transcript or a copy of the recording shall be prepared and supplied to the requesting party. If the transcript is supplied, it shall be at the cost of the party requesting it. If a copy of the recording is supplied, the party requesting it is responsible for the actual cost of reproduction. If a transcript has already been prepared, the requesting party is responsible for the actual cost of obtaining the copy. If the court finds the requesting party is an indigent defendant, the cost of the transcript or copy of the recording supplied to the defendant shall be paid by the county.

     (e) The following oath must be administered to the grand jury:

“You, and each of you, do solemnly swear or affirm that you will diligently inquire and make true presentment of all offenses committed or triable within this county, of which you have or can obtain legal evidence; that you will present no person through malice, hatred, ill will, nor leave any unpresented through fear, favor, or affection, or for any reward, or the promise or hope thereof, but in all your indictments you will present the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; that you will not disclose any evidence given or proceeding had before the grand jury; that you will keep secret whatever you or any other grand juror may have said or in what manner you or any other grand juror may have voted on a matter before the grand jury.”.

     (f) The court shall provide a printed copy of the provisions of this chapter to the grand jury upon the request of any member of the grand jury. In addition, the court shall give the grand jurors any instructions relating to the proper performance of their duties that the court considers necessary.

     (g) If a member of the grand jury has reason to believe that an offense has been committed which is triable in the county, the member may report this information to fellow jurors, who may then investigate the alleged offense.

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.298, SEC.3. Amended by Acts 1982, P.L.204, SEC.24; P.L.320-1983, SEC.14; P.L.312-1985, SEC.3; P.L.169-1988, SEC.6; P.L.33-1989, SEC.124; P.L.4-1998, SEC.13; P.L.98-2004, SEC.144; P.L.118-2007, SEC.29.