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Rule 513.1 – Sealing of Arrest Warrant

May 14, 2021 | Criminal Procedure, Pennsylvania

(A) For purposes of this rule, “arrest warrant information” is defined as the criminal complaint in cases in which an arrest warrant is issued, the arrest warrant, any affidavit(s) of probable cause, and documents or information related to the case.
(B) At the request of the attorney for the Commonwealth in the form of a motion, the arrest warrant information may be sealed upon good cause shown at the time the complaint is filed.
(C) Submission to Judge or Justice of Request for Sealed Arrest Warrant

When the attorney for the Commonwealth intends to request that the arrest warrant information be sealed, at the time the complaint is filed, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall present the arrest warrant information to a judge of the court of common pleas or an appellate court judge or justice. The arrest warrant affidavit(s) shall include the facts and circumstances that are alleged to establish good cause for the sealing of the arrest warrant information.

(1) When the judge or justice orders the arrest warrant information sealed, the order shall:

(a) certify that for good cause shown the arrest warrant information is sealed and state the date and time that the sealing of the arrest warrant information shall expire; and
(b) when requested by the attorney for the Commonwealth, specify that the arrest warrant information may be released by the attorney for the Commonwealth to the law enforcement agencies listed in the order.
(2) When a judge of the court of common pleas orders the arrest warrant information sealed, he or she shall accept the filing of the written complaint, which shall be marked as sealed, and shall issue the sealed arrest warrant. When a judge or justice of an appellate court orders the arrest warrant information sealed, he or she shall direct that the complaint be filed in the court of common pleas and the sealed arrest warrant shall be issued by a judge of the court of common pleas.
(3) When the judge or justice issues the sealed arrest warrant, the judge or justice also shall issue an order designating the proper issuing authority before whom the case shall proceed upon execution of the warrant.
(4) When the sealed arrest warrant is issued, the sealed arrest warrant information, the sealing order, and the order designating the proper issuing authority shall be filed with the clerk of courts in the judicial district in which the charges are being filed.
(5) Upon execution of the sealed arrest warrant, the affiant shall file a copy of the sealed arrest warrant information with the proper issuing authority along with copies of the order sealing the arrest warrant information and the order designating the proper issuing authority. Thereafter, the case will proceed before the proper issuing authority.
(D) The arrest warrant information shall be sealed for a period of not more than 60 days, unless the time period is extended as provided in paragraph (D)(1) or (D)(2).

(1) Upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth for good cause shown, the justice or judge who sealed the arrest warrant information may extend the period of time that the arrest warrant information will remain sealed. If the justice or judge is unavailable, another justice or judge shall be assigned to decide the motion.
(2) Upon motion for good cause shown, the justice or judge may grant an unlimited number of extensions of the time that the arrest warrant information shall remain sealed. Each extension shall be for a period of not more than 30 days.
(3) If the motion requesting any extension pursuant to paragraphs (D)(1) or (D)(2) is granted, the motion and any record of the hearing on the motion shall be sealed and transmitted with the extension order to the clerk of courts and a copy of the extension order shall be transmitted to the proper issuing authority.
(E) Upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth, the justice or judge shall order the arrest warrant information to be unsealed.
(F) Defendant’s Access to Sealed Arrest Warrant Information

(1) After the sealed arrest warrant is executed, a copy of the arrest warrant information shall be given to the defendant at the preliminary arraignment as provided in Rule 540, unless otherwise ordered as provided in paragraph (F)(2).
(2) Upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth, the justice or judge who issued the warrant, for good cause shown and after hearing, may delay giving the defendant a copy of the sealed arrest warrant information, in whole or in part, for periods of not more than 30 days. In no case shall the delay extend beyond the date of the preliminary hearing.
(3) If the justice or judge is unavailable, another justice or judge shall be assigned to decide the motion.
(G) Until the order sealing the arrest warrant information and any extensions thereof expires, the judge and clerk of courts shall not make the arrest warrant information available for public inspection and dissemination.

234 Pa. Code ยง 513.1

Committee Explanatory Reports:

Final Report explaining the December 23, 2013 adoption of new Rule 513.1 providing procedures for sealing of arrest warrant information published with the Court’s Order at 44 Pa.B. 243 (January 11, 2014) .