---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-12-171. Discharge or separate custody of alternate jurors upon submission of verdict.
collection: code
id: 15-12-171
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-12-171 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-171
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-171.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-171/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=185
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
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-12-170.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 / JURIES IN FELONY CASES
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-12-171. Discharge or separate custody of alternate jurors upon submission of verdict.

Upon final submission of the case to the jury, the alternate jurors shall not retire with the jury of 12 for deliberation but may be discharged. However, if the court deems it advisable, it may direct that one or more of the alternate jurors be kept in the custody of the sheriff or one or more court officers, separate and apart from the regular jurors, until the jury has agreed upon a verdict.

## History

Ga. L. 1957, p. 466, § 4; Ga. L. 1968, p. 1225, § 4.