Upon the return and filing of an indictment for a felony, the defendant so charged and arrested thereon, or the state, upon filing a request in writing, shall be entitled to have a copy of said indictment, certified by the court clerk, filed with a district, superior, common pleas or county judge, to be designated by the Judge presiding over the grand jury, and the defendant shall have a preliminary hearing thereon, before such designated judge, as a magistrate, as though said charge had been originally filed by verified information, with such magistrate, and under the law applying to the institution and conduct of prosecutions by information filed by the state. Any such request must be filed within ten (10) days after the filing of such indictment with the court clerk, or within ten (10) days after the defendant charged under said indictment has been arrested thereon, whichever is later. Upon such preliminary hearing, the members of the grand jury shall not be subpoenaed or called as a witness except upon an indictment charging the commission of the offense of perjury before the grand jury. The names of witnesses other than those endorsed on the indictment may be endorsed on the indictment prior to said preliminary hearing and such additional persons may be called as witnesses at such preliminary hearing; provided, that this section shall not apply to motion to quash or vacate the grand jury proceedings or indictment upon other grounds. Provided, grand jurors may be called as rebuttal witnesses.

Upon application of the defendant or the state, after the filing of the copy of the indictment with the magistrate, as hereinabove provided, the court may order the indictment filed with the court clerk dismissed and any bond made in the case exonerated.

Laws 1961, p. 237, § 1; Laws 1968, c. 258, § 1, emerg. eff. April 29, 1968.