540.021. Selection of grand jurors, summons and jury qualification form--notification of persons not qualified to serve--alternate grand jurors--length of service--compensation.
Selection of grand jurors, summons and jury qualificationform--notification of persons not qualified to serve--alternategrand jurors--length of service--compensation.
540.021. 1. Upon order of the presiding judge of the circuit court,or a judge designated by the presiding judge, names of prospective grandjurors shall be randomly selected from the master jury list in the mannerdetermined by the board of jury commissioners. A summons for grand juryservice and a juror qualification form shall be mailed or personally servedto those persons selected in the form and as required by section 494.415,RSMo, for petit jurors.
2. If it is determined from an examination of the juror qualificationform that a person is not qualified to serve as a grand juror, that personshall be notified in a manner directed by the board of jury commissioners,and shall not be required to comply with the summons for grand juryservice. The names of disqualified persons shall be deleted from the grandjury list.
3. Those prospective grand jurors not disqualified from grand juryservice shall constitute the grand jury list. If later determined to beineligible or disqualified, their names shall be deleted from the masterjury list.
4. Those persons summoned for grand jury service shall be placedunder the control and supervision of the presiding judge of the circuitcourt, or a judge designated by the presiding judge, who shall selecttwelve persons to serve as grand jurors. Alternate grand jurors asdetermined by the judge shall also be selected, to serve as a grand jurorupon the death, disqualification, or inability of one of the personsselected as a regular grand juror. The names of those persons selected asgrand jurors and alternate grand jurors shall be deleted from the grandjury list.
5. The presiding judge of the circuit court, or a judge designated bythe presiding judge, shall have the authority to convene, recess, andadjourn a grand jury as, in his discretion, he deems necessary, and attimes and places as he specifies. No grand jury shall be required to servefor longer than a six-month period, except such term may be extended for aperiod not to exceed sixty days, solely for the purpose of considering andcompleting matters already before the grand jury. No new matters shall bepresented to the grand jury during its extended service. Nothing containedin this section prevents the convening of another grand jury during suchextended service.
6. Compensation shall be allowed grand jurors in the same amount asis provided by law for petit jurors pursuant to section 494.455, RSMo.
(L. 1989 S.B. 127, et al., A.L. 2003 H.B. 613)