Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4543 (2026)

  Convening county investigating grand jury.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 4543.  Convening county investigating grand jury.

(a)  General rule.--In addition to such other grand juries as are called from time to time, county investigating grand juries shall be summoned as provided in subsection (b).

(b)  On the initiative of attorney for Commonwealth.--Application may be made to the president judge of the appropriate court of common pleas by the attorney for the Commonwealth for an order directing that a county investigating grand jury be summoned, stating in such application that the convening of a county investigating grand jury is necessary because of the existence of criminal activity within the county which can best be fully investigated using the investigative resources of the grand jury. Within ten days of receipt of such application, the president judge shall issue an order granting the request. The order shall specify which judge is to be the supervising judge of the county investigating grand jury. Refusal to grant an application under this subsection shall be appealable to the Supreme Court in the manner prescribed by general rule.

(c)  On the initiative of the court.--In the absence of an order under subsection (b), the president judge of the court of common pleas upon his own motion may issue an order directing that a county investigating grand jury be summoned, except that the summoning of such grand jury may, in the discretion of the court, be stayed if the district attorney of the county and the Attorney General both certify to the court that, in their judgments, the summoning of such grand jury is not necessary at such time.

(d)  Manner of impaneling.--The county investigating grand jury shall be impaneled in the manner provided or prescribed by law.

 

Cross References.  Section 4543 is referred to in sections 4544, 4547 of this title.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1983–2024 · leading case: In Re Cnty. Investigating Grand Jury of October 18, 1982, 460 A.2d 249 (Pa. 1983).
In Re Cnty. Investigating Grand Jury of October 18, 1982, 460 A.2d 249 (Pa. 1983). · cites it 4× “Whereas the Act *120 requires that any matter to be submitted to a grand jury be set forth in a notice of submission to the supervising judge, see 42 Pa.C.S. § 4550, the Act permits the empanelment of an investigating grand jury without specific reference to the criminal…”
In Re Fortieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, 191 A.3d 750 (Pa. 2018). · cites it 2× “” See Brief for Appellee at 14-15 (citing 42 Pa.C.S. §§4543(b), 4546(b) & (c), 4547, 4548(a), 4549(a)-(c), 4550(a) & (b), 4551(a) & (e), and 4552(c)).”
Commonwealth v. O'Kicki, 597 A.2d 152 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991). · cites it 2× “Whereas, the Act requires that any matter to be submitted to a grand jury be set forth in a notice of submission to the supervising judge, see 42 Pa.”
In Re: The 30th Cnty. Investigating Grand Jury (Pa. 2024). · cites it 2× “See 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 4543; 4544. In order to convene county investigating grand juries, such as the grand jury that issued the Report, attorneys for the Commonwealth, such as the DAO, are required to apply to the president judge of the appropriate court of common pleas for an order…”
In Re: Grand Jury Investigation No. 18 (Pa. 2020). “” 42 Pa.C.S. § 4543(b). Such criminal activity could include organized crime and/or public corruption within the investigating county, but, unlike a multicounty IGJ, it is not restricted to those matters.”
In Re: Gen. Statewide Jud. Emergency - Investigating Grand Jury Operations (Pa. 2020). “Applications to convene new investigating grand juries, see 42 Pa.C.S. §§4543 and 4544, may be submitted and adjudicated during the general, statewide judicial emergency.”
Com. v. Sigman, S. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2020). “§ 4543(a)(3) (stating that to be eligible for relief under this subchapter the petitioner must prove that the allegation of error has not been previously litigated or waived). In his May 7, 2015, correspondence to the trial court, which the court construed as his first PCRA…”
Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Pownall, R. (Pa. 2022). “” 42 Pa.C.S. §4543(b).3 If the application is approved and a grand jury is empaneled, the prosecutor may submit to it an investigation after notifying the supervising judge and alleging “one or more of the investigative resources of the grand jury are required in order to…”
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4543(a)(3): 1 case
Com. v. Sigman, S. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2020). “§ 4543(a)(3) (stating that to be eligible for relief under this subchapter the petitioner must prove that the allegation of error has not been previously litigated or waived). In his May 7, 2015, correspondence to the trial court, which the court construed as his first PCRA…”
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4543(b): 6 cases
In Re Cnty. Investigating Grand Jury of October 18, 1982, 460 A.2d 249 (Pa. 1983). “Whereas the Act *120 requires that any matter to be submitted to a grand jury be set forth in a notice of submission to the supervising judge, see 42 Pa.C.S. § 4550, the Act permits the empanelment of an investigating grand jury without specific reference to the criminal…”
In Re Fortieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, 191 A.3d 750 (Pa. 2018). “” See Brief for Appellee at 14-15 (citing 42 Pa.C.S. §§4543(b), 4546(b) & (c), 4547, 4548(a), 4549(a)-(c), 4550(a) & (b), 4551(a) & (e), and 4552(c)).”
Commonwealth v. O'Kicki, 597 A.2d 152 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991). “Whereas, the Act requires that any matter to be submitted to a grand jury be set forth in a notice of submission to the supervising judge, see 42 Pa.”
In Re: Grand Jury Investigation No. 18 (Pa. 2020). “” 42 Pa.C.S. § 4543(b). Such criminal activity could include organized crime and/or public corruption within the investigating county, but, unlike a multicounty IGJ, it is not restricted to those matters.”
Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Pownall, R. (Pa. 2022). “” 42 Pa.C.S. §4543(b).3 If the application is approved and a grand jury is empaneled, the prosecutor may submit to it an investigation after notifying the supervising judge and alleging “one or more of the investigative resources of the grand jury are required in order to…”
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