---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-12-139. Oath in criminal case.
collection: code
id: 15-12-139
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-12-139 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-139
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-139.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-139/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t15-ch12-24-(v13a)-2015-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=cbb30143_0#page=128
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COURTS / JURIES / TRIAL JURIES / IN GENERAL
extraction_warnings:
  - indent_level_unclear:p128
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-12-139. Oath in criminal case.

In all criminal cases, the following oath shall be administered to the trial jury:

‘‘You shall well and truly try the issue formed upon this bill of indictment (or accusation) between the State of Georgia and (name of accused), who is charged with (here state the crime or offense), and a true verdict give according to the evidence. So help you God.’’

The judge or clerk shall administer the oath to the jurors.

## History

Laws 1833, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 836; Code 1863, § 4536; Code 1868, § 4556; Code 1873, § 4650; Code 1882, § 4650; Penal Code 1895, § 979; Penal Code 1910, § 1005; Code 1933, § 59-709; Ga. L. 1978, p. 910, § 1; Ga. L. 2011, p. 59, § 1-54/HB 415.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2011, p. 59, § 1-1/HB 415, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: ‘‘This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Jury Composition Reform Act of 2011.’’’