Case Title: In Re: Order Amending Rules 540, 547, and 1003 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure (rules)

Citation: 

Docket Number: 551 Criminal Procedural Rules Docket

State: pennsylvania

Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Date: 2023-11-30T00:00:00Z

Document:
SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA CRIMINAL PROCEDURAL RULES COMMITTEE ADOPTION REPORT Amendment of Pa.R.Crim.P. 540, 547, and 1003 On November 30, 2023, the Supreme Court amended Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure 540, 547, and 1003. The Criminal Procedural Rules Committee has prepared this Adoption Report describing the rulemaking process. An Adoption Report should not be confused with Comments to the rules. See Pa.R.J.A. 103, cmt. The statements contained herein are those of the Committee, not the Court. Background The Act of July 11, 2022, P.L. 758, No. 71 amended the Crime Victims Act to require an arresting officer to “provide the name and contact information of the victim to the magisterial district court or the Philadelphia Municipal Court conducting the preliminary arraignment so that the victim may receive notice of any proceedings to modify bail conditions and exercise the opportunity to appear in accordance with paragraph (2.1)(iii).” 18 P.S. § 11.201(2)(iii)(A). As amended, paragraph (2)(iii) also requires that the magisterial district court or the Philadelphia Municipal Court transmit this information with the transcript of the proceedings to the court of common pleas at the conclusion of the preliminary hearing. Amendments As these statutory provisions are self-executing, only the Comments to Pa.R.Crim.P. 540, 547, and 1003 have been amended. The Comments to Pa.R.Crim.P. 540 and 1003 have been amended to include the following commentary: “For when an arresting officer is required to provide the name and contact information of the victim to the [court] conducting the preliminary arraignment, see 18 P.S. § 11.201(2)(iii)(A).” The Comment to Pa.R.Crim.P. 547 has been amended to advise: “For when the magisterial district court or the Philadelphia Municipal Court is required to transmit the contact information of the victim to the court of common pleas, see 18 P.S. § 11.201(2)(iii)(B).” This proposal was not published for comment as the amended commentary only directs the reader to the relevant statute. These amendments are effective immediately.