VERSION 4
                                        Modification 4.23
                                             July 3, 2000
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INSERT THIS PAGE BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING PAGES:

L2 AND L3, TRAFFIC/NON-TRAFFIC MANUAL
L2 AND L3, CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS DOCKET MANUAL


                   Rule 21 - Change of Venue

	The Court by its Order of April 20, 2000 has adopted
amendments to Rule 21 (Venue; Transfer of Proceedings) and 
Rule 4015 (Receipt for Deposit: Return of Deposit), all of 
which took effect July 1, 2000.  These rule changes provide 
uniform procedures for the institution or transfer of 
proceedings in cases in which there are multiple charges in 
more than one judicial district, or multiple charges in more 
than one magisterial district within one judicial district, 
arising from a single criminal episode.  

	To accommodate these amendments to Rule 21, a new
Transfer Reason Code ATTY (Rule21-Atty Agree/Request) has
been added to the Reason Code pop-up window on the Transfer
a Case screen.  The Transfer Notice (AOPC 625-00) will now
print the Reason for Transfer. In addition, when the reason
code ATTY has been selected on the Transfer a Case screen,
the Agreement Date or Request Date must be entered. The date 
description on the Detailed Docket Inquiry screen when you browse
 a transfer action has been changed to read "Agree/Request
Filed." 


     With regard to Venue, Rule 21 has been amended to
 provide that:

a. When charges arising from the same criminal episode
     occur in more than one magisterial district within the
     same judicial district, the criminal proceeding on
     all the charges should be brought before one District
     Justice in any one of the magisterial districts in
     which the charges arising from the same criminal
     episode occurred.  See Rule 21(A)(2).





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                                        Modification 4.23
                                             July 3, 2000
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     b. When charges arising from the same criminal episode
     occur in more than one judicial district, the criminal
     proceeding on all the charges should be brought before one
     District Justice in a magisterial district within any of
     the judicial districts in which the charges arising from
     the same criminal episode occurred.  See Rule 21(A)(3).

In addition, Rule 21 now provides a Transfer of
Proceedings section which provides that:

a. Prior to the completion of the preliminary hearing, when
   the charges arise from a single criminal episode which 
   occurred in more than one judicial district and:

     1. were filed in more than one judicial district, OR
     2. were only filed in one judicial district, 


     the District Justice shall transfer the
     proceedings to the magisterial district selected
     by the attorneys for the Commonwealth, provided
     the attorneys for the Commonwealth file a written
     agreement with the issuing authority.  See Rule
     21(B)(1)(a)(i)&(ii).

     b. Prior to the completion of the preliminary hearing,
        when charges arising from a single criminal episode
        which occurred in more than one magisterial
        district
        and:

     1. were filed in more than one magisterial district,
        OR
     2. were only filed in one magisterial district, 

the District Justice shall transfer the proceedings to the 
magisterial district selected by the attorney for the 
Commonwealth.  See Rule 21(B)(1)(b)(i)&(ii).  








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                                           Modification 4.23
                                                July 3, 2000
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c.  Although Rule 21 applies to summary offenses, the rule
    does not set forth any procedure for the transfer of 
    summary offenses.

Further, new subsection E of Rule 4015 provides that when a case
is transferred pursuant to Rule 21(B), the full bail deposit 
shall be promptly forwarded to the transfer judicial district,
together with any bail-related fees, commissions, or costs paid 
by the depositor.