What are the requirements for federal grand jury proceedings?

In Virginia, federal grand jury proceedings are governed by Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 6(a). This rule requires that there be at least 16 and up to 23 jurors on a federal grand jury. The court will select the grand jurors by random. This means that the jurors may not have a prior relationship with the parties involved. In order to be eligible for a grand jury, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age or older, and must be a resident of the district from which the grand jury is impaneled. Additionally, individuals must not have a felony criminal record and must have the ability to serve on the jury for 18 months. Grand jury proceedings in Virginia are conducted in secret, with witnesses testifying under oath before the jury. The purpose of the proceedings is to determine if there is probable cause to believe the accused has committed a crime. If there is sufficient evidence, the grand jury will issue an indictment charging the accused with the crime. At the end of a grand jury proceeding, the jury will issue a report that summarizes the evidence and makes any conclusions. The report is typically sealed and released by the court at some point after the proceedings.

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What are the requirements for federal grand jury proceedings?

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