Title 23, Criminal Procedure. [Enacted title]

(a) In a trial for an offense punishable by death, each side is entitled to twenty peremptory challenges. In a trial for an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, each side is entitled to ten peremptory challenges. In all other criminal cases, each side is ent…

The court shall order at any time that a subpoena be issued for service upon a named witness on behalf of a defendant if the defendant makes an application for such an order and makes a satisfactory showing that he is financially unable to pay the fees of the witness and that the…

(a) When two or more persons are jointly indicted or charged by information, or charged by separate indictments or informations which have been joined for trial, the court may, with the consent of the prosecuting authority, direct that a defendant who has not gone into his defens…

(a) If a material witness for either the prosecution or the defendant resides more than twenty-five miles from the place of holding court, is sick or infirm, or is about to leave the District of Columbia, and the prosecution or the defendant applies in writing to the court for a …

Any special investigator appointed by the Attorney General and assigned to the United States Attorney for the District shall have authority to execute all lawful writs, process, and orders issued under authority of the United States, and command all necessary assistance to execut…

(a) A prisoner in custody under sentence of the Superior Court claiming the right to be released upon the ground that (1) the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution of the United States or the laws of the District of Columbia, (2) the court was without jurisdiction…

(a)(1) No person who stands convicted of an offense under the laws of the District of Columbia shall be sentenced to increased punishment by reason of one or more previous convictions, unless prior to trial or before entry of a plea of guilty, the United States attorney or the Co…

A sentence imposed on a person for conviction of an offense shall, unless the court imposing such sentence expressly provides otherwise, run consecutively to any other sentence imposed on such person for conviction of an offense, whether or not the offense (1) arises out of anoth…

(a) At all sentencing proceedings in which an individual will be sentenced for a period of imprisonment of more than 30 days, or at any proceeding in which a judge is revoking probation that will result in a sentence of imprisonment of more than 30 days, the sentencing court shal…

(1) A prosecution for the following crimes may be commenced at any time: (A) murder in the first or second degree (D.C. Official Code §§ 22-2101 and 2102 [22-2102]); (B) murder in the second degree (D.C. Official Code § 22-2103); (C) murder of a law enforcement officer or public …

For purposes of prosecutions brought under Title 22 of the D.C. Official Code, independent corroboration of the testimony of a child victim is not required to warrant a conviction.

An offense prosecuted in the Superior Court which may be punished by death shall be prosecuted by indictment returned by a grand jury. An offense which may be punished by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year shall be prosecuted by indictment, but it may be prosecuted by inf…

(a) Two or more offenses may be charged in the same indictment or information in a separate count for each offense if the offenses charged, whether felonies or misdemeanors or both, are of the same or similar character or are based on the same act or transaction or on two or more…

The court may order two or more indictments or informations, or both, to be tried together if the offenses, and the defendants if there is more than one, could have been joined in a single indictment or information. The procedure shall be the same as if the prosecution were under…

If it appears that a defendant or the government is prejudiced by a joinder of offenses or of defendants in an indictment or information or by such joinder for trial together, the court may order an election or separate trials of counts, grant a severance of defendants, or provid…

In every indictment or information, except for forgery, in which it is necessary to make an averment as to any money or bank bill or notes, United States Treasury notes, postal and fractional currency, or other bills, bonds, or notes, issued by lawful authority and intended to pa…

In an indictment or information in which it is necessary to allege an intent to defraud, it shall be sufficient to allege that the party accused did the act complained of with intent to defraud, without alleging an intent to defraud any particular person or body corporate. On the…

In every information or indictment for perjury, it shall be sufficient to set forth the substance of the offense charged upon the defendant, and by what court, or before whom the oath was taken (averring such court, or person or persons, to have a competent authority to administe…

In every information or indictment for subornation of perjury, or for corrupt bargaining or contracting with others to commit perjury, it shall be sufficient to set forth the substance of the offense charged upon the defendant, without setting forth the bill, answer, information,…

(a) A defendant may be prosecuted for first or second degree sexual abuse or first or second degree child sexual abuse by indictment under a fictitious name, such as “John Doe” or “Jane Doe,” if, at the time of indictment, the defendant’s true name is unknown and the defendant’s …

As used in subchapters II, IV, and V of this chapter — (1) The term “judicial officer” means a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or a United States commissioner or magistrate for the Distri…

(a) Under circumstances described in this subchapter, a judicial officer may issue a search warrant upon application of a law enforcement officer or prosecutor. A warrant may authorize a search to be conducted anywhere in the District of Columbia and may be executed pursuant to i…

(a) Each application for a search warrant shall be made in writing, or by telephone or other appropriate means, including facsimile transmissions or other electronic communications, upon oath or affirmation to a judicial officer, pursuant to the Superior Court Rules of Criminal P…

(a) A search warrant shall not be executed more than ten days after the date of issuance and shall be returned to the court after its execution or expiration in accordance with section 23-521(f)(6). (b) A search warrant may be executed on any day of the week and, in the absence o…

(a) An officer executing a warrant directing a search of a dwelling house or other building or a vehicle shall execute such warrant in accordance with section 3109 of Title 18, United States Code. (b) An officer executing a warrant directing a search of a person shall give, or ma…

A law enforcement officer or a designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department who seizes property in the execution of a search warrant shall cause it to be safely kept for use as evidence. No property seized shall be released or destroyed except in accordance …

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Seized-currency” means moneys, coins, or negotiable instrument with monetary value, including personal checks, commercial checks, cashiers’ checks, travelers’ checks, bearer bonds, or money orders, seized by the Metropolitan Pol…

(a)(1) Seized currency shall be promptly deposited in an interest-bearing escrow account in a federal insured financial institution in the District of Columbia to be administered by the Metropolitan Police Department pending final disposition of forfeiture proceedings. Where prac…

The Chief of Police, in consultation with the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Corporation Counsel, shall promulgate regulations to implement this subchapter within 60 days of the effective date of this act [October 4, 2000].

The provisions of this subchapter shall apply to any seized currency in possession of the Metropolitan Police Department on the effective date of the regulations implementing this subchapter.

As used in this subchapter — (1) the term “wire communication” means any communication made in whole or in part through the use of facilities for the transmission of communications by the aid of wire, cable, or other like connection between the point of origin and the point of re…

(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this subchapter, any person who in the District of Columbia — (1) willfully intercepts, endeavors to intercept, or procures any other person to intercept or endeavor to intercept any wire or oral communication; (2) willfully disclo…

(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person who in the District of Columbia — (1) willfully possesses, sells, distributes, manufactures, or assembles an intercepting device, the design of which renders it primarily useful for the pu…

Any intercepting device in the District of Columbia — (1) possessed; (2) used; (3) sold; (4) distributed; or (5) manufactured or assembled; in violation of section 23-542 or 23-543 may be seized and forfeited to the District of Columbia. Insofar as applicable and not inconsistent…

(a) The United States attorney may authorize, in writing, any investigative or law enforcement officer to make application to a court for an order authorizing the interception of wire or oral communications. (b) The United States attorney may authorize, in writing, any investigat…

(a) Each application for an order authorizing or approving the interception of a wire or oral communication shall be made in writing upon oath or affirmation to a judge and shall state the applicant’s authority to make the application. Each application shall include — (1) the ide…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, any investigative or law enforcement officer, specially designated by the United States attorney for the District of Columbia, who reasonably determines that — (1) an emergency situation exists with respect to conspirato…

(a) The contents of any wire or oral communication intercepted by any means authorized by this subchapter shall, if possible, be recorded on tape or wire or other comparable device. The recording of the contents of any wire or oral communication under this subchapter shall be don…

Within a reasonable time but not later than ninety days after the filing of an application for an order of approval under section 23-548 which is denied, or the termination of the period of any order or extensions thereof, the issuing or denying judge shall cause to be served, on…

(a) The contents of any intercepted wire or oral communication or evidence derived therefrom shall not be received in evidence or otherwise disclosed in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any court, department, officer, agency, regulatory body, or other authorit…

In addition to any other right to appeal, the United States or the District of Columbia, as the case may be, shall have the right to appeal from an order granting a motion to suppress made under section 23-551 or from the denial of an application for an order of approval, if the …

(a) Any investigative or law enforcement officer who, by any authorized means and in conformity with this subchapter, has obtained knowledge of the contents of any wire or oral communication, or evidence derived therefrom, may disclose or use such contents or evidence to the exte…

(a) Any person whose wire or oral communication is intercepted, disclosed, or used in violation of this subchapter shall — (1) have a civil cause of action against any person who intercepts, discloses, or uses, or procures any other person to intercept, disclose, or use, such com…

(a) Within thirty days after the expiration of an order or an extension entered under section 23-547 or 23-548 or the denial of an order of approval, the issuing or denying court shall report to the chief judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals — (1) that an order or e…

(a) Sections 23-542, 23-543, 23-545 [repealed], 23-553, 23-554, and 23-555 of this subchapter shall be construed to supplement, and not to supersede or otherwise limit, the provisions of chapter 119 of Title 18, United States Code (relating to wire interception and interception o…

(a)(1) A judicial officer may issue a warrant for the arrest of any person upon a sworn complaint which states facts constituting an offense over which the judicial officer has jurisdiction for trial or preliminary examination, and establishing probable cause to believe that the …