5.04 Foreperson; oath to witnesses

When a grand jury is formed, its members pick one person from the group to act as foreperson. This person leads the group in an official capacity during the proceedings.

The foreperson's main job is to swear in witnesses. Before anyone testifies in front of the grand jury, the foreperson gives them an oath, promising to tell the truth. This oath follows specific wording set by the Supreme Court, so it stays consistent across all grand jury proceedings.

This process helps keep grand jury testimony honest and official, even though these proceedings happen in private. The foreperson acts as the person responsible for making sure this step happens before any witness speaks.