(a) General rule.--An investigating grand jury shall not be limited in duration to any term of court. Each such investigating grand jury shall, except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), serve for a term of 18 months, unless an order for discharge shall be entered earlier by the court upon the determination of such investigating grand jury, by majority vote, that its business has been completed.
(b) Extension on initiative of grand jury.--If, at the end of its original term or any extension thereof, any investigating grand jury determines by majority vote that it has not completed its business, it may request the court to extend its term for an additional period of six months, except that no such investigating grand jury term shall exceed 24 months from the time it was originally summoned. The court shall issue an order granting a request for extension unless it determines that such request is clearly without basis. Failure to grant an extension of term under this subsection may be appealed by the attorney for the Commonwealth to the Supreme Court in the manner prescribed by general rule. If an appeal is taken, the grand jury, except as otherwise prescribed by general rule, shall continue to exercise its powers pending the disposition of the appeal.
(c) Discharge by court.--If, at any time within the original term of any investigating grand jury or any extension thereof, the court determines that the investigating grand jury is not conducting proper investigative activity, the court may order that such grand jury be discharged. An order of discharge under this subsection shall not become effective less than ten days after the date on which it is issued and actual notice given to the attorney for the Commonwealth and the foreman of the investigating grand jury, and may be appealed by the attorney for the Commonwealth to the Supreme Court in the manner prescribed by general rule. If an appeal is taken, the grand jury, except as otherwise prescribed by general rule, shall continue to exercise its powers pending the disposition of the appeal.
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Title 42 - JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
Chapter 45 - Juries and Jurors
Section 4501 - Declaration of policy
Section 4502 - Qualifications of jurors
Section 4503 - Exemptions from jury duty
Section 4521 - Selection of prospective jurors
Section 4521.1 - Statewide jury information system
Section 4522 - List of qualified jurors
Section 4523 - List of disqualified jurors
Section 4524 - Selection of jurors for service
Section 4525 - Equipment used for selection of jurors
Section 4526 - Challenging compliance with selection procedures
Section 4527 - Effect of verdict on jury selection errors
Section 4531 - Issuance of court orders for jurors
Section 4532 - Summoning persons to serve as jurors
Section 4541 - Short title of subchapter
Section 4543 - Convening county investigating grand jury
Section 4544 - Convening multicounty investigating grand jury
Section 4545 - Composition of investigating grand jury
Section 4546 - Term of investigating grand jury
Section 4547 - Additional investigating grand juries
Section 4548 - Powers of investigating grand jury
Section 4549 - Investigating grand jury proceedings
Section 4551 - Investigating grand jury presentments
Section 4552 - Investigating grand jury reports
Section 4553 - Expenses of investigating grand juries and trials resulting therefrom
Section 4561 - Compensation of and travel allowance for jurors
Section 4562 - Juror's right to refuse inquiries
Section 4563 - Protection of employment of petit and grand jurors
Section 4563.1 - Protection of employment of grand jurors (Deleted by amendment)
Section 4564 - Alternate jurors
Section 4565 - Challenging certain petit jurors where political subdivision is a party
Section 4581 - Interfering with selection of jurors
Section 4582 - Tampering with names of jurors
Section 4583 - Tampering with jurors