Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 49, December 7, 2024
Rule 541 - Waiver of Preliminary Hearing(A) The defendant who is represented by counsel may waive the preliminary hearing at the preliminary arraignment or at any time thereafter. (1) The defendant thereafter is precluded from raising the sufficiency of the Commonwealth's prima facie case unless the parties have agreed at the time of the waiver that the defendant later may challenge the sufficiency.(2) If the defendant waives the preliminary hearing by way of an agreement, made in writing or on the record, and the agreement is not accomplished, the defendant may challenge the sufficiency of the Commonwealth's prima facie case.(B) The defendant who is not represented by counsel at the preliminary arraignment may not at that time waive the preliminary hearing.(C) If the defendant waives the preliminary hearing and consents to be bound over to court, the defendant and defense attorney, if any, shall certify in writing that(1) The issuing authority told the defendant of the right to have a preliminary hearing,(2) when represented by counsel, the defendant understands that by waiving the right to have a preliminary hearing, he or she is thereafter precluded from raising challenges to the sufficiency of the prima facie case, and(3) The defendant voluntarily waives the hearing and consents to be bound over to court.(D) Once a preliminary hearing is waived and the case bound over to the court of common pleas, if the right to a preliminary hearing is subsequently reinstated, the preliminary hearing shall be held at the court of common pleas unless the parties agree, with the consent of the common pleas judge, that the preliminary hearing be held before the issuing authority.(E) When the defendant waives the preliminary hearing, the case shall proceed as provided in Rule 543(C).The provisions of this Rule 541 amended February 12, 2010, effective 4/1/2010, 40 Pa.B. 1068; amended April 26, 2012, effective in 180 days, 42 Pa.B. 2645.