(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no person shall, for any indictable offense, be proceeded against criminally by information, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service, in time of war or public danger or by leave of court for oppression or misdemeanor in office.

(b) Criminal information.--Each of the courts of common pleas may, with the approval of the Supreme Court, provide for the initiation of criminal proceedings therein by information filed in the manner provided or prescribed by law. The Administrative Office shall cause all orders of the Supreme Court entered under this subsection to be codified in the Pennsylvania Code.

(c) Jurisdiction and duties of courts.--The several courts of common pleas which have obtained the approval of the Supreme Court to provide for the initiation of criminal proceedings by informations instead of by grand jury indictments, shall possess and exercise the same power and jurisdiction as they heretofore possessed in cases of prosecutions upon indictments.

(d) Duties of prosecuting attorneys.--Whenever a transcript of proceedings, complaint and all related papers in a criminal proceeding where the defendant has been held for court have been transmitted to the clerk of court or the officer designated by the court, such officer, after recording the same, shall immediately transmit the documents or a copy thereof to the district attorney. The district attorney or his designee shall have the duty to inquire into and make full examination of all the facts and circumstances connected with each such case to determine if the facts and circumstances warrant the filing of an information or informations premised upon the transcript. No information shall be filed by the district attorney concerning alleged criminal violations where a preliminary hearing has not been held or properly waived except as prescribed by general rules.

(e) Disposition of cases.--The district attorney shall sign all informations. The information shall be filed in the form prescribed by general rules.

(f) Investigating grand juries unaffected.--No grand jury shall be impaneled in any judicial district where this section is applicable for the purpose of considering bills of indictment. This section shall not prohibit the impaneling of grand juries under and with the powers provided in Subchapter D of Chapter 45 (relating to investigating grand juries) or for any other purpose as provided or prescribed by law.

(g) Certain proceedings and statutes unaffected.--This section shall not affect criminal proceedings held before the minor judiciary as now provided or prescribed by law nor, except as provided in this section, shall it affect criminal proceedings subsequent to the filing of the information by a district attorney. Except as otherwise provided in this section or to the extent that they are specifically inconsistent with prosecutions initiated by information, existing statutes applicable to criminal prosecutions initiated by indictment shall be applicable to the information filed under this section by a district attorney.

(h) Applicability of section.--Subsections (c) through (g) shall be applicable only in those judicial districts which have obtained the approval of the Supreme Court to substitute informations for grand jury indictments as the method for initiating criminal prosecutions. Thereafter, all statutes and parts of statutes inconsistent with such subsections shall not apply in such judicial districts.

(i) Definition.--As used in this section "district attorney" includes a special attorney appointed by the Attorney General in the manner provided by statute, an acting district attorney and any assistant district attorney whose authority to act for the district attorney under this section is evidenced by a written designation executed by the district attorney or acting district attorney and filed with the clerk of the courts.

(Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53, eff. 60 days; Oct. 5, 1980, P.L.693, No.142, eff. 60 days)

1980 Amendment. Act 142 amended subsec. (f).

1978 Amendment. Act 53 amended subsec. (e).

Cross References. Section 8931 is referred to in section 5552 of this title.