Pub. L. 91-644, tit. III, sec. 14

Sec. 14. (a) Section 3731 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking out the first eight paragraphs and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “In a criminal case an appeal by the United States shall lie to a court of appeals from a decision, judgment, or order of a district court dismissing an indictment or information as to any one or more counts, except, that no appeal shall lie where the double jeopardy clause of the United States Constitution prohibits further prosecution. “An appeal by the United States shall lie to a court of appeals from a decision or order of a district courts suppressing or excluding evidence or requiring the return of seized property in a criminal proceeding, not made after the defendant has been put in jeopardy and before the verdict or finding on an indictment or information, if the United States attorney certifies to the district court that the appeal is not taken for purpose of delay and that the evidence is a substantial proof of a fact material in the proceeding.”; (2) by striking out the word “or” in the ninth paragraph and inserting in lieu thereof a comma, and inserting “or order” following the word “judgment” in the same paragraph; (3) by striking out the last two paragraphs and inserting in lieu thereof a new paragraph as follows: “The provisions of this section shall he liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.” (b) The amendments made by this section shall not apply with respect to any criminal case begun in any district court before the effective date of this section.