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Convening multicounty investigating grand jury - 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4544

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     § 4544.  Convening multicounty investigating grand jury.
        (a)  General rule.--Application for a multicounty
     investigating grand jury may be made by the Attorney General to
     the Supreme Court. In such application the Attorney General
     shall state that, in his judgment, the convening of a
     multicounty investigating grand jury is necessary because of
     organized crime or public corruption or both involving more than
     one county of the Commonwealth and that, in his judgment, the
     investigation cannot be adequately performed by an investigating
     grand jury available under section 4543 (relating to convening
     county investigating grand jury). The application shall specify
     for which counties the multicounty investigating grand jury is
     to be convened. Within ten days of receipt of such application,
     the court shall issue an order granting the same. Failure by an
     individual justice to grant such application shall be appealable
     to the entire Supreme Court.
        (b)  Contents of order.--An order issued under subsection (a)
     shall:
            (1)  convene a multicounty investigating grand jury
        having Statewide jurisdiction, or jurisdiction over all
        counties requested in the application by the Attorney
        General;
            (2)  designate a judge of a court of common pleas to be
        the supervising judge over such multicounty investigating
        grand jury and provide that such judge shall with respect to
        investigations, presentments, reports, and all other proper
        activities of said investigating multicounty grand jury, have
        jurisdiction over all counties in the jurisdiction of said
        multicounty investigating grand jury;
            (3)  designate the counties which shall supply jurors and
        in what ratios;
            (4)  designate a location or locations for the
        multicounty investigating grand jury proceeding; and
            (5)  provide for such other incidental arrangements as
        may be necessary including the Commonwealth's share of
        expenses.
     All matters to be included in such order shall be determined by
     the justice issuing the order in any manner which he deems
     appropriate, except that the Supreme Court may adopt general
     rules, consistent with the provisions of this section,
     establishing standard procedures for the convening of
     multicounty investigating grand juries.
        (c)  Manner of impaneling.--The multicounty investigating
     grand jury shall be impaneled in the manner provided or
     prescribed by law.
        (d)  Effect on district attorneys.--The impaneling of a
     multicounty investigating grand jury shall in no way diminish
     the responsibility and the authority of the district attorneys
     within their jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute
     organized crime or public corruption or both.

        Cross References.  Section 4544 is referred to in sections
     1906, 4547 of this title.

Last modified: November 27, 2007