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Rule 1003 – Procedure in Non-Summary Municipal Court Cases

May 14, 2021 | Criminal Procedure, Pennsylvania

(A) INITIATION OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

(1) Criminal proceedings in court cases shall be instituted by filing a written complaint, except that proceedings may be also instituted by:

(a) an arrest without a warrant when a felony or misdemeanor is committed in the presence of the police officer making the arrest; or
(b) an arrest without a warrant upon probable cause when the offense is a misdemeanor not committed in the presence of the police officer making the arrest, when the arrest without a warrant is specifically authorized by law; or
(c) an arrest without a warrant upon probable cause when the offense is a felony.
(2) Private Complaints

(a) When the affiant is not a law enforcement officer, the complaint shall be submitted to an attorney for the Commonwealth, who shall approve or disapprove it without unreasonable delay.
(b) If the attorney for the Commonwealth:

(i) approves the complaint, the attorney shall indicate this decision on the complaint form and transmit it to the issuing authority;
(ii) disapproves the complaint, the attorney shall state the reasons on the complaint form and return it to the affiant. Thereafter, the affiant may petition the President Judge of Municipal Court, or the President Judge’s designee, for review of the decision. Appeal of the decision of the Municipal Court shall be to the Court of Common Pleas.
(B) CERTIFICATION OF COMPLAINT

Before an issuing authority may issue process or order further proceedings in a Municipal Court case, the issuing authority shall ascertain and certify on the complaint that:

(1) the complaint has been properly completed and executed; and
(2) when prior submission to an attorney for the Commonwealth is required, an attorney has approved the complaint.

The issuing authority shall then accept the complaint for filing, and the case shall proceed as provided in these rules.

(C) SUMMONS AND ARREST WARRANT PROCEDURES

When an issuing authority finds grounds to issue process based on a complaint, the issuing authority shall:

(1) issue a summons and not a warrant of arrest when the offense charged is punishable by imprisonment for a term of not more than 1 year, except as set forth in paragraph (C)(2);
(2) issue a warrant of arrest when:

(a) the offense charged is punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than 5 years;
(b) the issuing authority has reasonable grounds for believing that the defendant will not obey a summons;
(c) the summons has been returned undelivered;
(d) a summons has been served and disobeyed by a defendant;
(e) the identity of the defendant is unknown;
(f) a defendant is charged with more than one offense, and one of the offenses is punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than 5 years; or
(3) when the offense charged does not fall within the categories specified in paragraph (C)(1) or (2), the issuing authority may, in his or her discretion, issue a summons or a warrant of arrest.
(D) PRELIMINARY ARRAIGNMENT

(1) When a defendant has been arrested within Philadelphia County in a Municipal Court case, with or without a warrant, the defendant shall be afforded a preliminary arraignment by an issuing authority without unnecessary delay. If the defendant was arrested without a warrant pursuant to paragraph (A)(1)(a) or (b), unless the issuing authority makes a determination of probable cause, the defendant shall not be detained.
(2) In the discretion of the issuing authority, the preliminary arraignment of the defendant may be conducted by using two-way simultaneous audio-visual communication. When counsel for the defendant is present, the defendant must be permitted to communicate fully and confidentially with defense counsel immediately prior to and during the preliminary arraignment.
(3) At the preliminary arraignment, the issuing authority:

(a) shall not question the defendant about the offense(s) charged;
(b) shall give the defendant’s attorney, or if unrepresented the defendant, a copy of the certified complaint;
(c) if the defendant was arrested with a warrant, the issuing authority shall provide the defendant’s attorney, or if unrepresented the defendant with copies of the warrant and supporting affidavit(s) at the preliminary arraignment, unless the warrant and affidavit(s) are not available at that time, in which event the defendant’s attorney, or if unrepresented the defendant, shall be given copies no later than the first business day after the preliminary arraignment; and
(d) also shall inform the defendant:

(i) of the right to secure counsel of choice and the right to assigned counsel in accordance with Rule 122;
(ii) of the day, date, hour, and place for the trial, which shall not be less than 20 days after the preliminary arraignment, unless the issuing authority fixes an earlier date for the trial upon request of the defendant or defense counsel, with the consent of the attorney for the Commonwealth, and that failure to appear without cause at any proceeding for which the defendant’s presence is required, including trial, may be deemed a waiver of the right to be present, and the proceeding may be conducted in the defendant’s absence, and a warrant of arrest shall be issued;
(iii) in a case charging a felony, unless the preliminary hearing is waived by a defendant who is represented by counsel, or the attorney for the Commonwealth is presenting the case to an indicting grand jury pursuant to Rule 556.2, of the date, time, and place of the preliminary hearing, which shall not be less than 14 nor more than 21 days after the preliminary arraignment unless extended for cause or the issuing authority fixes an earlier date upon the request of the defendant or defense counsel with the consent of the complainant and the attorney for the Commonwealth; and that failure to appear without cause for the preliminary hearing will be deemed a waiver by the defendant of the right to be present at any further proceedings before the issuing authority, and that the case shall proceed in the defendant’s absence, and a warrant of arrest shall be issued;
(iv) if a case charging a felony is held for court at the time of the preliminary hearing, that failure to appear without cause at any proceeding for which the defendant’s presence is required, including trial, the defendant’s absence may be deemed a waiver of the right to be present, and the proceeding may be conducted in the defendant’s absence, and a warrant of arrest shall be issued; and
(v) of the type of release on bail, as provided in Chapter 5 Part C of these rules, and the conditions of the bail bond.
(4) After the preliminary arraignment, if the defendant is detained, he or she shall be given an immediate and reasonable opportunity to post bail, secure counsel, and notify others of the arrest. Thereafter, if the defendant does not post bail, he or she shall be committed to jail, as provided by law.
(E) PRELIMINARY HEARING IN CASES CHARGING A FELONY

(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (E)(2) and (E)(3), in cases charging a felony, the preliminary hearing in Municipal Court shall be conducted as provided in Rule 542 (Preliminary Hearing; Continuances) and Rule 543 (Disposition of Case at Preliminary Hearing).
(2) At the preliminary hearing, the issuing authority shall determine whether there is a prima facie case that an offense has been committed and that the defendant has committed it.

(a) Hearsay as provided by law shall be considered by the issuing authority in determining whether a prima facie case has been established.
(b) Hearsay evidence shall be sufficient to establish any element of an offense including, but not limited to, those requiring proof of the ownership of, non-permitted use of, damage to, or value of property.
(3) If a prima facie case is not established on any felony charges, but is established on any misdemeanor or summary charges, the judge shall remand the case to Municipal Court for trial.
(F) ACCEPTANCE OF BAIL PRIOR TO TRIAL

The Clerk of Courts shall accept bail at any time prior to the Municipal Court trial.

234 Pa. Code ยง 1003

Committee Explanatory Reports:

Report explaining the provisions of the new rule published at 22 Pa.B. 18 (January 4, 1992) . Final Report published with the Court’s Order at 24 Pa.B. 4342 (August 27, 1994) .

Final Report explaining the September 13, 1995 amendments published with Court’s Order at 25 Pa.B. 4116 (September 30, 1995) .

Final Report explaining the March 22, 1996 amendments published with the Court’s Order at 26 Pa.B. 1690 (April 13, 1996) .

Final Report explaining the August 28, 1998 amendments published with the Court’s Order at 28 Pa.B. 4627 (September 12, 1998) .

Final Report explaining the March 1, 2000 reorganization and renumbering of the rules published with the Court’s Order at 30 Pa.B. 1478 (March 18, 2000) .

Final Report explaining the May 10, 2002 amendments concerning advanced communication technology published with the Court’s Order at 32 Pa.B. 2591 (May 25, 2002) .

Final Report explaining the August 24, 2004 changes clarifying preliminary arraignment and preliminary hearing procedures in Municipal Court cases published with the Court’s Order at 34 Pa.B. 5025 (September 11, 2004) .

Final Report explaining the August 15, 2005 amendments to paragraphs (A) (2) (b) (ii) and (D) (3) (d) (ii) published with the Court’s Order at 35 Pa.B. 4918 (September 3, 2005) .

Court’s Order adopting the April 5, 2010 amendments to paragraph (D) (3) (d) published at 40 Pa.B. 2012 (April 17, 2010) .

Court’s Order of January 27, 2011 amending paragraph (E) concerning hearsay and reducing felony charges at preliminary hearing published at 41 Pa.B. 834 (February 12, 2011) .

Final Report explaining the June 21, 2012 amendments to paragraph (D) (3) (d) (iii) concerning indicting grand juries published with the Court’s Order at 42 Pa.B. 4153 (July 7, 2012) .

Final Report explaining the July 31, 2012 revision of the Comment changing the citation to Rule 540(B) to Rule 540(C) published with the Court’s Order at 42 Pa.B. 5340 (August 18, 2012) .

Final Report explaining the April 25, 2013 amendments to paragraph (E) concerning hearsay published with the Court’s Order at 43 Pa.B. 2562 (May 11, 2013) .

Final Report explaining the May 2, 2013 amendments concerning proceedings conducted in the defendant’s absence published with the Court’s Order at 43 Pa.B. 2710 (May 18, 2013) .