Pennsylvania Code › Title 204 - JUDICIAL SYSTEM GENERAL PROVISIONS › Part VII - ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF PENNSYLVANIA COURTS › Chapter 201 - UNIFIED JUDICIAL SYSTEM › Section 201.3 - Status of indicting grand juries; initiation of criminal proceedings by information

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(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
							 District
Docket
							 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.