§ 132.100 Oath to witness before grand jury

Before a grand jury hears from a witness, someone has to swear that witness in. This rule says the foreman of the grand jury is the one who normally does this. If the foreman is not there, any other member of the grand jury can step in and give the oath instead.

This matters because witnesses must promise to tell the truth before they give testimony. Having a grand juror administer the oath, rather than an outside official, keeps the process within the grand jury itself. It also makes sure someone is always available to swear in a witness, even if the foreman happens to be absent that day.