---
title: O.C.G.A. § 17-7-54. Form of indictment by grand jury.
collection: code
id: 17-7-54
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 17-7-54 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-7-54
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-7-54.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/17-7-54/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t17-(v15)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=8c04ccfe_0#page=481
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.
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE / PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS / INDICTMENTS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 17-7-54. Form of indictment by grand jury.

(a) Every indictment of the grand jury which states the offense in the terms and language of this Code or so plainly that the nature of the offense charged may easily be understood by the jury shall be deemed sufficiently technical and correct. The form of every indictment shall be substantially as follows:

Georgia, County.

The grand jurors selected, chosen, and sworn for the County of , to wit: , in the name and behalf of the citizens of Georgia, charge and accuse (name of the accused) of the county and state aforesaid with the offense of ; for that the said (name of the accused) (state with sufficient certainty the offense and the time and place of committing the same), contrary to the laws of said state, the good order, peace, and dignity thereof.

(b) If there should be more than one count, each additional count shall state:

And the jurors aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the citizens of Georgia, further charge and accuse (name of the accused) with having committed the offense of ; for that the said (name of the accused) (state with sufficient certainty the offense and the time and place of committing the same) contrary to the laws of said state, the good order, peace, and dignity thereof.

## History

Laws 1833, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 833; Code 1863, § 4516; Code 1868, § 4535; Code 1873, § 4628; Code 1882, § 4628; Penal Code 1895, § 929; Penal Code 1910, § 954; Code 1933, § 27-701.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘The Necessity of Negativing Exceptions in a Criminal Indictment,’’ see 16 Ga. B.J. 25 (1953). For survey article on death penalty law, see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 123 (2007).

For comment on Lyles v. State, 215 Ga. 229, 109 S.E.2d 785 (1959), see 11 Mercer L. Rev. 237 (1959).