Summary
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania granted the Attorney General’s application to convene the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. The order designates a supervising judge, establishes Montgomery County as the location, provides for juror selection, sets the grand jury’s term, and addresses control and disclosure of grand jury materials.
Topics
Practice areas
Questions Presented
- Whether the Attorney General's application to convene an additional multicounty investigating grand jury having statewide jurisdiction should be granted.
- What procedures and supervisory provisions should govern the organization, operation, term, and secrecy of the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.
Holdings
- The Attorney General's application was granted, and the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury was authorized to be convened.
- The Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury must operate under the organizational, supervisory, juror-selection, term, transcript-control, evidence-control, and secrecy directives specified in the court's order, including supervision by Judge Lillian H. Ransom and a maximum term of 24 months.
Key quotations
“The Attorney General’s Application requesting that an additional multicounty investigating grand jury having statewide jurisdiction (“Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury”) be convened is hereby GRANTED.” (Order ¶ 1)
“The Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury will remain in session for not more than 18 months following the date that it is impaneled by the Supervising Judge.” (Order ¶ 7)
Factual background
The Pennsylvania Attorney General requested that an additional multicounty investigating grand jury with statewide jurisdiction be convened. The court determined that granting the application was appropriate under the Investigating Grand Jury Act and ordered that the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury be established. The order designated a supervising judge, selected Montgomery County as the location, prescribed the counties and number of prospective jurors, and set the grand jury's initial and maximum terms.
Procedural history
The Pennsylvania Attorney General submitted an application to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania under the Investigating Grand Jury Act. The court granted the application and issued directives governing the organization, location, composition, term, supervision, and secrecy of the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.