{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "cpl", "section": "190.70", "citation": "CPL § 190.70", "heading": "Grand jury; direction to file prosecutor's information and related matters", "text": ["§ 190.70 Grand jury; direction to file prosecutor's information and", "related matters.", "1.  Except in a case submitted to it pursuant to the provisions of section 170.25, a grand jury may direct the district attorney to file in a local criminal court a prosecutor's information charging a person with an offense other than a felony when (a) the evidence before it is legally sufficient to establish that such person committed such offense, and (b) competent and admissible evidence before it provides reasonable cause to believe that such person committed such offense.  In such case, the grand jury must, through its foreman or acting foreman, file such direction with the court by which it was impaneled.", "2.  Such direction must be signed by the foreman or acting foreman. It must contain a plain and concise statement of the conduct constituting the offense to be charged, equivalent in content and precision to the factual statement required to be contained in an indictment pursuant to subdivision seven of section 200.50.  Subject to the rules prescribed in sections 200.20 and 200.40 governing joinder in a single indictment of multiple offenses and multiple defendants, such grand jury direction may, where appropriate, specify multiple offenses of less than felony grade and multiple defendants, and may direct that the prospective prosecutor's information charge a single defendant with multiple offenses, or multiple defendants jointly with either a single offense or multiple offenses.", "3.  Upon the filing of such grand jury direction, the court must, unless such direction is insufficient on its face, issue an order approving such direction and ordering the district attorney to file such a prosecutor's information in a designated local criminal court having trial jurisdiction of the offense or offenses in question."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/190.70", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "1. Except in a § 170.25 case, the grand jury may direct the DA to file a **prosecutor's information** charging an **offense other than a felony** when the same two-part test (legally sufficient + reasonable cause) is met; it files the direction with the court through the foreman.\n2. The direction must be **signed by the foreman**, contain a plain, concise factual statement (as detailed as an indictment under § 200.50(7)), and may charge multiple offenses/defendants (subject to §§ 200.20, 200.40 joinder rules).\n3. On filing, the court **must** (unless the direction is facially insufficient) order the DA to file the prosecutor's information in a designated local criminal court with trial jurisdiction.", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/cpl/190.70", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}