THE COURTS
Title 204—JUDICIAL SYSTEM GENERAL PROVISIONS
PART VII. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF PENNSYLVANIA COURTS
[ 204 PA. CODE CH. 201 ]
Status of Indicting Grand Juries; Initiation of Criminal Proceedings by Information
[41 Pa.B. 6377]
[Saturday, December 3, 2011]Section 10 of Article 1 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, as amended by referendum of November 6, 1973, provides that each of the several courts of common pleas may, with the approval of the Supreme Court, provide for the initiation of criminal proceedings therein by information filed in the manner provided by law.
The Administrative Office is required by 42 Pa.C.S. § 8931(b) (relating to criminal information) to cause all orders of the Supreme Court entered under the forgoing provision to be codified in the Pennsylvania Code. Section 201.3 of Title 204 of the Pennsylvania Code was last updated in 1981. See Pennsylvania Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 18 (May 12, 1981).
Accordingly, a revised table setting forth the status of the abolition of the indicting grand jury in this Commonwealth accompanies this notice.
ZYGMONT A. PINES,
Court Administrator of Pennsylvania
Annex A
TITLE 204. JUDICIAL SYSTEM GENERAL PROVISIONS
PART VII. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF PENNSYLVANIA COURTS
CHAPTER 201. UNIFIED JUDICIAL SYSTEM § 201.3. Status of indicting grand juries; initiation of criminal proceedings by information.
(a) General rule. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania pursuant to Section 10 of Article 1 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania has approved the initiation of criminal proceedings by information in the following courts of common pleas:
County Judicial
DistrictDocket Page Reference Docket No. Effective Date Adams 51 179 21 May 1, 1976 Allegheny 5 178 21 June 1, 1976 Armstrong 33 83 21 January 1, 1976 Beaver 36 150 21 March 1, 1976 Bedford 57 31 E.D. 1990 November 19, 1991 Berks 23 53 21 January 1, 1976 Blair 24 54 21 January 1, 1976 Bradford 42 340 21 March 1, 1977 Bucks 7 46 21 January 1, 1976 Butler 50 62 21 January 1, 1976 Cambria 47 77 21 January 1, 1976 Cameron 59 88 21 January 1, 1976 Carbon 56 74 21 January 1, 1976 Centre 49 309 20 January 6, 1975 Chester 15 50 21 January 1, 1976 Clarion 18 187 E.D. 1980 February 21, 1980 Clearfield 46 43 21 January 1, 1976 Clinton 25 308 21 December 9, 1976 Columbia 26 89 21 January 1, 1976 Crawford 30 70 21 January 1, 1976 Cumberland 9 293 21 December 1, 1976 Dauphin 12 49 21 January 1, 1976 Delaware 32 56 21 January 1, 1976 Elk 59 88 21 January 1, 1976 Erie 6 42 21 January 1, 1976 Fayette 14 223 21 June 7, 1976 Forest 37 51 E.D. 1978 April 5, 1978 Franklin 39 291 21 January 1, 1977 Fulton 39 291 21 January 1, 1977 Greene 13 176 E.D. 1978 October 31, 1978 Huntingdon 20 87 21 January 1, 1976 Indiana 40 175 E.D. 1978 October 31, 1978 Jefferson 54 451 21 October 14, 1977 Juniata 41 58 21 January 1, 1976 Lackawanna 45 188 E.D. 1983 December 12, 1983 Lancaster 2 69 21 January 1, 1976 Lawrence 53 572 E.D. 1980 August 28, 1980 Lebanon 52 44 21 January 1, 1976 Lehigh 31 55 21 January 1, 1976 Luzerne 11 48 21 January 1, 1976 Lycoming 29 59 21 January 1, 1976 McKean 48 61 21 January 1, 1976 Mercer 35 309 21 December 9, 1976 Mifflin 58 64 21 January 1, 1976 Monroe 43 60 21 January 1, 1976 Montgomery 38 57 21 January 1, 1976 Montour 26 90 21 January 1, 1976 Northampton 3 45 21 January 1, 1976 Northumberland 8 67 21 January 1, 1976 Perry 41 58 21 January 1, 1976 Philadelphia 1 504 19 January 1, 1976 Pike 60 60 21 January 1, 1976 Potter 55 63 21 January 1, 1976 Schuylkill 21 41 E.D. 1978 March 27, 1978 Snyder 17 87 E.D. 1984 June 29, 1984 Somerset 16 51 21 January 1, 1976 Sullivan 44 71 21 January 1, 1976 Susquehanna 34 129 E.D. 1979 December 31, 1979 Tioga 4 180 21 May 1, 1976 Union 17 87 E.D. 1984 June 29, 1984 Venango 28 68 21 January 1, 1976 Warren 37 51 E.D. 1978 April 5, 1978 Washington 27 249 21 August 2, 1976 Wayne* 22 Westmoreland 10 47 21 January 1, 1976 Wyoming 44 71 21 January 1, 1976 York 19 52 21 January 1, 1976 *By order of the Supreme Court, the statewide rules of criminal procedure governing indicting grand juries and indictments were rescinded effective September 1, 1993. See also, Pa.R.Crim.P. 103 (defining ''information'' as replacing the indictment in all counties ''since the use of the indicting grand jury has been abolished.'').
(b) Status of grand jury. 42 Pa.C.S. § 8931(f) provides that no grand jury shall be impaneled in any judicial district where the Supreme Court has approved the initiation of criminal proceedings by information, for the purpose of considering bills of indictment, and that such provision shall not prohibit the impaneling of grand juries under and with the powers provided in Subchapter 45D of the Judicial Code (42 Pa.C.S. § 4541 et seq.) or for any other purpose as provided or prescribed by law.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 11-2045. Filed for public inspection December 2, 2011, 9:00 a.m.]
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