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Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4546 (2026)

  Term of investigating grand jury.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 4546.  Term of investigating grand jury.

(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.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2018–2021 · leading case: In re Fortieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, 197 A.3d 712 (Pa. 2018).
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In re Fortieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, 197 A.3d 712 (Pa. 2018). “" 42 Pa.C.S. § 4546. However, "no such investigating grand jury term shall exceed 24 months from the time it was originally summoned.”
In Re: Application of AG Successor Multicounty IGJ (Pa. 2021). · cites it 2× “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 4546(a). 8. The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or his designee in charge of the Forty-Ninth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, may apply, if necessary, to the Supervising Judge for an extension of the term of the Forty-Ninth Statewide…”
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4546(a) — 1 case
In Re: Application of AG Successor Multicounty IGJ (Pa. 2021). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 4546(a). 8. The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or his designee in charge of the Forty-Ninth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, may apply, if necessary, to the Supervising Judge for an extension of the term of the Forty-Ninth Statewide…”
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4546(b) — 1 case
In Re: Application of AG Successor Multicounty IGJ (Pa. 2021). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 4546(a). 8. The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or his designee in charge of the Forty-Ninth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, may apply, if necessary, to the Supervising Judge for an extension of the term of the Forty-Ninth Statewide…”
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