A. The court may either of its own motion or upon the application of the district attorney, upon the furtherance of justice, order an action or indictment to be dismissed; but in that case the reasons of the dismissal must be set forth in the order, which must be entered upon the minutes.
B. The district attorney may dismiss an action or indictment by filing a notice of dismissal at any time prior to commencement of the preliminary hearing in the case of a felony or, in the case of a misdemeanor, prior to the matter being set for trial. Any subsequent request for dismissal of an action or indictment by the district attorney must be made pursuant to the provisions of subsection A of this section. A defendant named in such action or indictment shall only be required to pay the costs of that action if agreed upon by the parties.
R.L. 1910, § 6099. Amended by Laws 2016, c. 204, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.