Section 15-12-71. Duties of grand jury

   (a) The duties of a grand jury shall be confined to such matters and things as it is required to perform by the Constitution and laws or by order of any superior court judge of the superior court of the county.

(b) (1) The grand jury shall at least once in each calendar year inspect the condition and operations of the county jail. The grand jury shall at least once in every three calendar years inspect and examine the offices and operations of the clerk of superior court, the judge of the probate court, and the county treasurer or county depository. If the office of the district attorney is located in the county in which the grand jury is impaneled, the grand jury shall inspect and examine the offices of the district attorney at least once in every three calendar years. If the offices of the district attorney are located in a county other than the county in which the grand jury is impaneled, the grand jury may inspect the offices of the district attorney as the grand jury deems necessary or desirable.

   (2) In addition to the inspections provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the grand jury shall, whenever deemed necessary by eight or more of its members, appoint a committee of its members to inspect or investigate any county office or county public building or any public authority of the county or the office of any county officer, any court or court official of the county, the county board of education, or the county school superintendent or any of the records, accounts, property, or operations of any of the foregoing.

   (3) The grand jury may prepare reports or issue presentments based upon its inspections as provided for in this subsection, and any such presentments shall be subject to publication as provided for in Code Section 15-12-80.

   (4) The grand jury may appoint one citizen of the county to provide technical expertise to the grand jury in connection with inspections provided for in this Code section. Such citizen shall be compensated at the same rate that a grand juror is compensated.

(c) Any grand jury or any committee thereof which has undertaken to conduct an inspection or investigation as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section shall have the right to examine any papers, books, records, and accounts, to compel the attendance of witnesses, and to hear evidence. If any public officer, agent, or employee refuses to produce any such papers, books, records, and accounts, any superior court judge of the superior court of the county, upon evidence being adduced, may enforce this Code section by mandamus or attachment as the case may require. If any public officer, agent, or employee fails or refuses to exhibit to the grand jury or its committee the funds on hand or claimed by them to be on hand upon presentation of that fact to any superior court judge of the superior court the judge may by mandamus or attachment compel the delivery of the funds to the grand jury or the committee for the purpose of counting.

(d) The judge charging the grand jury shall inform the grand jury of the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this Code section.

Ga. L. 1869, p. 139, § 5; Code 1873, § 3914; Code 1882, § 3914; Penal Code 1895, § 829; Penal Code 1910, § 833; Code 1933, § 59-301; Ga. L. 1986, p. 306, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 607, § 4; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1292, § 6.