1. (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.’’).

2. (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.

Source

The provisions of this § 201.3 adopted June 30, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 1747, amended May 1, 1981, effective May 2, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1435; amended December 2, 2011, effective December 3, 2011, 41 Pa.B. 6377. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (250502) and (236525) to (236526).