Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.010
Short title—Purpose
This chapter shall be known as the criminal investigatory act of 1971 and is enacted on behalf of the people of the state of Washington to serve law enforcement in combating crime and corruption.
Revised Code of Washington Chapter 10.27 — Grand Juries—Criminal Investigations
Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 10.27 · 19 active provisions
Provisions
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.020
Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter:(1) The term "court" shall mean any superior court in the state of Washington.(2) The term "public attorney" shall mean the prosecuting attorney of the county in which a grand jury or special grand jury is impaneled; the attorney general of the state of Washington when acting pursuant t…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.030
Summoning grand jury
No grand jury shall be summoned to attend at the superior court of any county except upon an order signed by a majority of the judges thereof. A grand jury shall be summoned by the court, where the public interest so demands, whenever in its opinion there is sufficient evidence of criminal activity or corruption within…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.040
Selection of grand jury members
Members of the grand jury shall be selected in the manner provided in chapter 2.36 RCW.
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.050
Special inquiry judge—Selection
In every county a superior court judge as designated by a majority of the judges shall be available to serve as a special inquiry judge to hear evidence concerning criminal activity and corruption.
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.060
Discharge of panel, juror—Grounds
Neither the grand jury panel nor any individual grand juror may be challenged, but the court may:(1) At any time before a grand jury is sworn discharge the panel and summon another if it finds that the original panel does not substantially conform to the requirements of chapter 2.36 RCW; or(2) At any time after a grand…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.070
Oath—Officers—Witnesses
(1) When the grand jury is impaneled, the court shall appoint one of the jurors to be foreperson, and also another of the jurors to act as foreperson in case of the absence of the foreperson.(2) The grand jurors must be sworn pursuant to the following oath: "You, as grand jurors for the county of . . . . . ., do solemn…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.080
Persons authorized to attend—Restrictions on attorneys
No person shall be present at sessions of the grand jury or special inquiry judge except the witness under examination and his or her attorney, public attorneys, the reporter, an interpreter, a public servant guarding a witness who has been held in custody, if any, and, for the purposes provided for in RCW 10.27.170, a…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.090
Secrecy enjoined—Exceptions—Use and availability of evidence
(1) Every member of the grand jury shall keep secret whatever he, she, or any other grand juror has said, and how he, she, or any other grand juror has voted, except for disclosure of indictments, if any, as provided in RCW 10.27.150.(2) No grand juror shall be permitted to state or testify in any court how he, she, or…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.100
Inquiry as to offenses—Duties—Investigation
The grand jurors shall inquire into every offense triable within the county for which any person has been held to answer, if an indictment has not been found or an information filed in such case, and all other indictable offenses within the county which are presented to them by a public attorney or otherwise come to th…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.110
Duration of sessions—Extensions
The length of time which a grand jury may sit after being convened shall not exceed sixty days. Before expiration of the sixty day period and any extensions, and upon showing of good cause, the court may order the grand jury panel extended for a period not to exceed sixty days.
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.120
Self-incrimination—Right to counsel
Any individual called to testify before a grand jury or special inquiry judge, whether as a witness or principal, if not represented by an attorney appearing with the witness before the grand jury or special inquiry judge, must be told of his or her privilege against self-incrimination. Such an individual has a right t…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.130
Self-incrimination—Refusal to testify or give evidence—Procedure
If in any proceedings before a grand jury or special inquiry judge, a person refuses, or indicates in advance a refusal, to testify or provide evidence of any other kind on the ground that he or she may be incriminated thereby, and if a public attorney requests the court to order that person to testify or provide the e…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.140
Witnesses—Attendance
(1) Except as provided in this section, no person has the right to appear as a witness in a grand jury or special inquiry judge proceeding.(2) A public attorney may call as a witness in a grand jury or special inquiry judge proceeding any person believed by him or her to possess information or knowledge relevant theret…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.150
Indictments—Issuance
After hearing, examining, and investigating the evidence before it, a grand jury may, in its discretion, issue an indictment against a principal. A grand jury shall find an indictment only when from all the evidence at least three-fourths of the jurors are convinced that there is probable cause to believe a principal i…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.160
Grand jury report
The grand jury may prepare its conclusions, recommendations and suggestions in the form of a grand jury report. Such report shall be released to the public only upon a determination by a majority of the judges of the superior court of the county court that (1) the findings in the report deal with matters of broad publi…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.170
Special inquiry judge—Petition for order—Investigation of sexual exploitation of children
(1) When any public attorney, corporation counsel or city attorney has reason to suspect crime or corruption, within the jurisdiction of such attorney, and there is reason to believe that there are persons who may be able to give material testimony or provide material evidence concerning such suspected crime or corrupt…
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.180
Special inquiry judge—Disqualification from subsequent proceedings
The judge serving as a special inquiry judge shall be disqualified from acting as a magistrate or judge in any subsequent court proceeding arising from such inquiry except alleged contempt for neglect or refusal to appear, testify or provide evidence at such inquiry in response to an order, summons or subpoena.
Wash. Rev. Code § 10.27.190
Special inquiry judge—Direction to public attorney for proceedings in another county—Procedure
Upon petition of a public attorney to the special inquiry judge that there is reason to suspect that there exists evidence of crime and corruption in another county, and with the concurrence of the special inquiry judge and prosecuting attorney of the other county, the special inquiry judge may direct the public attorn…