No person shall, for any indictable offense, be proceeded against criminally by information, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or the military when in actual service, or by leave of the court for misdemeanor in office or where a defendant represented by counsel by sworn statement waives indictment; but the legislature, in cases not punishable by death or by imprisonment in the penitentiary, may dispense with the inquest of the grand jury, and may authorize prosecutions before justice court judges, or such other inferior court or courts as may be established, and the proceedings in such cases shall be regulated by law.

SOURCES: 1817 art I §12; 1832 art I §12; 1869 art I §31; Laws 1977, ch. 590, effective December 22, 1978.

NOTE: The 1977 amendment to Section 27 was proposed by Laws 1997, ch. 590, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 590, of the 1977 regular session of the Legislature, and upon ratification by the electorate on November 7, 1978, was inserted by proclamation of the Secretary of State on December 22, 1978.