Source: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=10.27&full=true
Timestamp: 2019-05-20 13:07:00
Document Index: 208594714

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 16', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 17', '§ 4', '§ 5', '§ 1018', '§ 6', '§ 1020', '§ 8', '§ 1022', '§ 10', '§ 11', '§ 1023', '§ 12', '§ 1024', '§ 13', '§ 1026', '§ 15', '§ 16', '§ 3', '§ 17', '§ 18', '§ 19']

Chapter 10.27 RCW: GRAND JURIES—CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
RCWs > Title 10 > Chapter 10.27
Chapter 10.27 RCW
GRAND JURIES—CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
10.27.010 Short title—Purpose.
10.27.020 Definitions.
10.27.030 Summoning grand jury.
10.27.040 Selection of grand jury members.
10.27.050 Special inquiry judge—Selection.
10.27.060 Discharge of panel, juror—Grounds.
10.27.070 Oath—Officers—Witnesses.
10.27.080 Persons authorized to attend—Restrictions on attorneys.
10.27.090 Secrecy enjoined—Exceptions—Use and availability of evidence.
10.27.100 Inquiry as to offenses—Duties—Investigation.
10.27.110 Duration of sessions—Extensions.
10.27.120 Self-incrimination—Right to counsel.
10.27.130 Self-incrimination—Refusal to testify or give evidence—Procedure.
10.27.140 Witnesses—Attendance.
10.27.150 Indictments—Issuance.
10.27.160 Grand jury report.
10.27.170 Special inquiry judge—Petition for order—Investigation of sexual exploitation of children.
10.27.180 Special inquiry judge—Disqualification from subsequent proceedings.
10.27.190 Special inquiry judge—Direction to public attorney for proceedings in another county—Procedure.
Interpreters—Legal proceedings: Chapter 2.42 RCW.
Juries: Chapter 2.36 RCW.
Short title—Purpose.
This chapter shall be known as the criminal investigatory act of 1971 and is enacted on behalf of the people of the state of Washington to serve law enforcement in combating crime and corruption.
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 1.]
(1) The term "court" shall mean any superior court in the state of Washington.
(2) The term "public attorney" shall mean the prosecuting attorney of the county in which a grand jury or special grand jury is impaneled; the attorney general of the state of Washington when acting pursuant to RCW 10.27.070(9) and, the special prosecutor appointed by the governor, pursuant to RCW 10.27.070(10), and their deputies or special deputies.
(3) The term "indictment" shall mean a written accusation found by a grand jury.
(4) The term "principal" shall mean any person whose conduct is being investigated by a grand jury or special inquiry judge.
(5) The term "witness" shall mean any person summoned to appear before a grand jury or special inquiry judge to answer questions or produce evidence.
(6) A "grand jury" consists of twelve persons, is impaneled by a superior court and constitutes a part of such court. The functions of a grand jury are to hear, examine and investigate evidence concerning criminal activity and corruption and to take action with respect to such evidence. The grand jury shall operate as a whole and not by committee.
(7) A "special inquiry judge" is a superior court judge designated by a majority of the superior court judges of a county to hear and receive evidence of crime and corruption.
[ 1988 c 188 § 16; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 2.]
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 3.]
Selection of grand jury members.
Members of the grand jury shall be selected in the manner provided in chapter 2.36 RCW.
[ 1988 c 188 § 17; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 4.]
Special inquiry judge—Selection.
In every county a superior court judge as designated by a majority of the judges shall be available to serve as a special inquiry judge to hear evidence concerning criminal activity and corruption.
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 5.]
Discharge of panel, juror—Grounds.
(2) At any time after a grand juror is drawn, refuse to swear him or her, or discharge him or her after he or she has been sworn, upon a finding that he or she is disqualified from service pursuant to chapter 2.36 RCW, or incapable of performing his or her duties because of bias or prejudice, or guilty of misconduct in the performance of his or her duties such as to impair the proper functioning of the grand jury.
[ 2010 c 8 § 1018; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 6.]
Persons authorized to attend—Restrictions on attorneys.
No person shall be present at sessions of the grand jury or special inquiry judge except the witness under examination and his or her attorney, public attorneys, the reporter, an interpreter, a public servant guarding a witness who has been held in custody, if any, and, for the purposes provided for in RCW 10.27.170, any corporation counsel or city attorney. The attorney advising the witness shall only advise such witness concerning his or her right to answer or not answer any questions and the form of his or her answer and shall not otherwise engage in the proceedings. No person other than grand jurors shall be present while the grand jurors are deliberating or voting. Any person violating either of the above provisions may be held in contempt of court.
[ 2010 c 8 § 1020; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 8.]
Inquiry as to offenses—Duties—Investigation.
[ 2010 c 8 § 1022; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 10.]
Duration of sessions—Extensions.
The length of time which a grand jury may sit after being convened shall not exceed sixty days. Before expiration of the sixty day period and any extensions, and upon showing of good cause, the court may order the grand jury panel extended for a period not to exceed sixty days.
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 11.]
Self-incrimination—Right to counsel.
Any individual called to testify before a grand jury or special inquiry judge, whether as a witness or principal, if not represented by an attorney appearing with the witness before the grand jury or special inquiry judge, must be told of his or her privilege against self-incrimination. Such an individual has a right to representation by an attorney to advise him or her as to his or her rights, obligations, and duties before the grand jury or special inquiry judge, and must be informed of this right. The attorney may be present during all proceedings attended by his or her client unless immunity has been granted pursuant to RCW 10.27.130. After immunity has been granted, such an individual may leave the grand jury room to confer with his or her attorney.
[ 2010 c 8 § 1023; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 12.]
Self-incrimination—Refusal to testify or give evidence—Procedure.
If in any proceedings before a grand jury or special inquiry judge, a person refuses, or indicates in advance a refusal, to testify or provide evidence of any other kind on the ground that he or she may be incriminated thereby, and if a public attorney requests the court to order that person to testify or provide the evidence, the court shall then hold a hearing and shall so order unless it finds that to do so would be clearly contrary to the public interest, and that person shall comply with the order. The hearing shall be subject to the provisions of RCW 10.27.080 and 10.27.090, unless the witness shall request that the hearing be public.
If, but for this section, he or she would have been privileged to withhold the answer given or the evidence produced by him or her, the witness may not refuse to comply with the order on the basis of his or her privilege against self-incrimination; but he or she shall not be prosecuted or subjected to criminal penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or fact concerning which he or she has been ordered to testify pursuant to this section. He or she may nevertheless be prosecuted for failing to comply with the order to answer, or for perjury or for offering false evidence to the grand jury.
[ 2010 c 8 § 1024; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 13.]
Indictments—Issuance.
After hearing, examining, and investigating the evidence before it, a grand jury may, in its discretion, issue an indictment against a principal. A grand jury shall find an indictment only when from all the evidence at least three-fourths of the jurors are convinced that there is probable cause to believe a principal is guilty of a criminal offense. When an indictment is found by a grand jury the foreperson or acting foreperson shall present it to the court.
[ 2010 c 8 § 1026; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 15.]
The grand jury may prepare its conclusions, recommendations and suggestions in the form of a grand jury report. Such report shall be released to the public only upon a determination by a majority of the judges of the superior court of the county court that (1) the findings in the report deal with matters of broad public policy affecting the public interest and do not identify or criticize any individual; (2) the release of the report would be consistent with the public interest and further the ends of justice; and (3) release of the report would not prejudice any pending criminal investigation or trial.
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 16.]
Special inquiry judge—Petition for order—Investigation of sexual exploitation of children.
(1) When any public attorney, corporation counsel or city attorney has reason to suspect crime or corruption, within the jurisdiction of such attorney, and there is reason to believe that there are persons who may be able to give material testimony or provide material evidence concerning such suspected crime or corruption, such attorney may petition the judge designated as a special inquiry judge pursuant to RCW 10.27.050 for an order directed to such persons commanding them to appear at a designated time and place in said county and to then and there answer such questions concerning the suspected crime or corruption as the special inquiry judge may approve, or provide evidence as directed by the special inquiry judge.
(2) Upon petition of a prosecuting attorney for the establishment of a special inquiry judge proceeding in an investigation of sexual exploitation of children under RCW 10.112.010, the court shall establish the special inquiry judge proceeding, if appropriate, as soon as practicable but no later than seventy-two hours after the filing of the petition.
[ 2017 c 114 § 3; 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 17.]
Findings—2017 c 114: See note following RCW 10.112.010.
Special inquiry judge—Disqualification from subsequent proceedings.
The judge serving as a special inquiry judge shall be disqualified from acting as a magistrate or judge in any subsequent court proceeding arising from such inquiry except alleged contempt for neglect or refusal to appear, testify or provide evidence at such inquiry in response to an order, summons or subpoena.
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 18.]
Special inquiry judge—Direction to public attorney for proceedings in another county—Procedure.
Upon petition of a public attorney to the special inquiry judge that there is reason to suspect that there exists evidence of crime and corruption in another county, and with the concurrence of the special inquiry judge and prosecuting attorney of the other county, the special inquiry judge may direct the public attorney to attend and participate in special inquiry judge proceedings in the other county held to inquire into crime and corruption which relates to crime or corruption under investigation in the initiating county. The proceedings of such special inquiry judge may be transcribed, certified and filed in the county of the public attorney's jurisdiction at the expense of that county.
[ 1971 ex.s. c 67 § 19.]