IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

MIDDLE DISTRICT

IN RE: APPLICATION OF JOSH SHAPIRO, 

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE 

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, 

REQUESTING AN ORDER DIRECTING 

THAT A SUCCESSOR MULTICOUNTY 

INVESTIGATING GRAND JURY HAVING 

STATEWIDE JURISDICTION BE 

CONVENED 

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No. 115 MM 2022

ORDER

AND NOW, this 17th day of November, 2022, upon consideration of the Application 

of Josh Shapiro, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and as it 

appears that granting the Application is appropriate under the Investigating Grand Jury 

Act, 42 Pa.C.S. §§4541 et seq., it is hereby ORDERED as follows:

1. The Attorney General’s Application requesting that an additional 

multicounty investigating grand jury having statewide jurisdiction (“Fiftieth Statewide 

Investigating Grand Jury”) be convened is hereby GRANTED.

2. The Honorable Lillian H. Ransom, First Judicial District, Philadelphia 

County, Pennsylvania, is hereby designated as Supervising Judge of the Fiftieth

Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. All applications and motions relating to the work of 

the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury—including motions for disclosure of grand 

jury transcripts and evidence—shall be presented to the Supervising Judge. With respect 

to investigations, presentments, reports, and all other proper activities of the Fiftieth 

Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, Judge Ransom, as Supervising Judge, shall have 

jurisdiction over all counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Judge 
[115 MM 2022] - 2

Ransom may temporarily designate another jurist who has been appointed by this Court 

as the Supervising Judge of a multicounty investigating grand jury having statewide 

jurisdiction to serve as Acting Supervising Judge of the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating 

Grand Jury when Judge Ransom is absent or otherwise unavailable.

3. Montgomery County is designated as the location for the Fiftieth Statewide 

Investigating Grand Jury proceedings.

4. The Court Administrator of Pennsylvania is directed to draw six counties at 

random from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania pursuant to the provisions of Rule 

241(A)(1) and 241(C)(2) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, and these six 

counties, plus Montgomery, shall together supply jurors for the Fiftieth Statewide 

Investigating Grand Jury.

5. The Court Administrator of Pennsylvania is directed to obtain the names 

and addresses of persons residing in the aforesaid counties who are eligible by law to 

serve as grand jurors pursuant to the provisions of Rule 241(A)(2) of the Pennsylvania 

Rules of Criminal Procedure.

6. The total of such names of prospective jurors to be collected shall be 200, 

of which 50 shall be selected at random and summoned by the Court Administrator of 

Pennsylvania to Montgomery County. The Supervising Judge shall impanel the Fiftieth

Statewide Investigating Grand Jury from this panel of 50 prospective jurors. If it becomes 

necessary, additional prospective jurors shall be summoned by the Supervising Judge 

from among the remaining 150 prospective jurors.

7. The Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury will remain in session for 

not more than 18 months following the date that it is impaneled by the Supervising Judge.
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8. The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or his 

designee in charge of the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, may apply, if 

necessary, to the Supervising Judge for an extension of the term of the Fiftieth Statewide 

Investigating Grand Jury for an additional period of up to six months, if, at the end of its 

original term, the Investigating Grand Jury determines by majority vote that it has not 

completed its business. The Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury’s term, including

any extension thereof, shall not exceed 24 months from the date it was originally 

impaneled by the Supervising Judge.

9. The Supervising Judge shall maintain control of transcripts and evidence,

as provided by Rule 229 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. The 

Supervising Judge shall determine the manner and location with respect to storage of 

transcripts. The Supervising Judge shall control disclosure of matters occurring before 

the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, as provided by 42 Pa.C.S. §4549.

10. The Supervising Judge shall have the same duties and powers relating to 

maintaining grand jury secrecy with respect to each expired multicounty investigating 

grand jury having statewide jurisdiction that had convened in Montgomery County or any 

other county identified in Rule 241(C)(2) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. 

______________________________

DEBRA TODD

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania