Cómo se forman los jurados especiales en Virginia

Explicación Simple

Un jurado especial es un grupo de personas que se reúne para investigar si alguien ha cometido un crimen. Pueden ser convocados por un juez o por otros jurados si piensan que se necesita más investigación.

Es como cuando un grupo de amigos decide investigar un misterio en su vecindario. Si encuentran algo sospechoso, pueden llamar a más amigos para ayudar a resolver el problema.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que en un barrio de Virginia, algunos vecinos ven cosas raras en una casa abandonada. Deciden hablar con el juez y, si muchos vecinos están de acuerdo, el juez puede convocar un jurado especial para investigar si hay actividad ilegal en esa casa.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

Va. Code § 19.2-206 - When impanelled. A. Special grand juries may be impanelled by a circuit court (i) at any time upon its own motion, (ii) upon recommendation of a minority of the members of a regular grand jury that a special grand jury be impanelled, to perform the functions provided for in subdivision (2) of § 19.2-191 , or (iii) upon request of the attorney for the Commonwealth to investigate and report on any condition that involves or tends to promote criminal activity and consider bills of indictment to determine whether there is sufficient probable cause to return each such indictment as a "true bill." B. A special grand jury shall be impanelled by a circuit court upon the recommendation of a majority of the members of a regular grand jury if the court finds probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed which should be investigated by a special grand jury impanelled to perform the functions provided for in subdivision (2) of § 19.2-191 . Code 1950, § 19.1-149; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 741; 1980, c. 134; 1987, c. 136; 2001, c. 4 . Va. Code § 19.2-207 - Composition of a special grand jury. Special grand juries shall consist of not less than seven and not more than 11 members, and shall be summoned from a list prepared by the court. Members of a special grand jury shall possess the same qualifications as those prescribed for members of a regular grand jury, including indifferent in the cause to be conducted by the special grand jury. In order to determine a potential juror's qualifications, the presiding judge shall examine each juror individually and under oath. He shall then certify in writing and not under seal that he has examined the members of the special grand jury and has found that they are qualified and are impartial and disi