§52-2-1. At what terms grand jury shall attend; when court or judge may dispense with it.

There shall be a grand jury at each term of a circuit court, except that the circuit court of any county by an order entered of record, or the judge thereof in vacation by written order to the clerk at least twenty days before the term, may dispense with the grand jury for one or two of the terms required by law to be held in such county annually, and the circuit court of any county in which there may be a criminal court whose jurisdiction includes the trial of felony cases, by an order entered of record, may dispense with the grand jury for all the terms of such circuit court required by law to be held in such county annually; and in such case no grand jury shall be drawn by the court or by the judge in vacation. Any circuit court may, at a special, regular or adjourned term thereof, whenever it shall be proper to do so, order a grand jury to be drawn and to attend such term. A grand jury summoned to attend a special, regular or adjourned term may consider any offense against the laws, whether the same shall have been committed before the next preceding term of the court or not, and whether the accused shall have been held for trial or not prior to the next preceding regular term.