criminal complaint
Official crime accusation
A criminal complaint is a formal document filed by a prosecutor or law enforcement officer charging someone with a crime.
It states the alleged offense and the facts supporting probable cause: The detective filed a criminal complaint after reviewing the evidence.
Unlike an indictment, it doesn't require grand jury approval and typically initiates lower-level criminal proceedings.
- indictmentFormal charge from jury
- federal chargesNational-level criminal accusations
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
- district attorneyCounty's chief prosecuting officer
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
affidavit · court filing · theft · file · defendant · summons · arrest warrant · Miranda rights · testimony · sworn testimony · report · probable cause · confession · sworn statement · witness · forensic evidence · preliminary hearing · suspect
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, crime
- criminal trialarraignment, defense attorney, courtroom, prosecutor, charges
- complaintsgrievances, grievance, gripe, gripes, grumble
- criminal chargesarson, burglary, homicide, kidnapping, robbery
- police recordspolice records, arrest report, police reports, incident report, arrest records
- prosecutionprosecutor, district attorney, DA, prosecution, public prosecutors
criminal complaintacquittal
Formal clearing of charges
exoneration · conviction · dismissal · not guilty verdict · final judgment
criminal complaintexoneration
Official clearing of blame
vindication · acquittal · clearance · pardon · absolution
criminal complaintcivil complaint
Lawsuit's initiating document
civil lawsuit · motion to dismiss · affirmative defense · counterclaim
criminal, complaint, crimes, criminals, criminally, criminality, criminalize, criminalized, criminalizing