These sample sentences are automatically selected from various online information sources to reflect the current use of the word “indictment.” The opinions expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us your feedback. An indictment informally states that a person has committed an illegal or immoral act. An indictment is also formally an indictment against a person for a crime, either by a prosecutor who lays charges against that person or by an indictment by a grand jury against that person. The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution provides, in part, that a person charged with a crime has the right to be “informed of the nature and motive of the indictment.” Therefore, in any federal criminal prosecution, the law that establishes the crime in the indictment must define the offence in sufficiently clear terms for the average person to be informed of the actions that fall within its scope. The prosecution must also inform the accused in clear and unambiguous language of the crime of which he is accused under the law. A defendant has the same rights when accused of violating the state`s criminal law because the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies sixth amendment safeguards to states. The document that presents the indictment – such as an indictment, information or complaint – is called an adversarial tool. “Indictment.” dictionary Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accusation. Retrieved 29 September 2022. When you say that someone is guilty of doing something wrong, make an accusation, such as your accusation that your brother used your computer, without asking first. Most state constitutions contain language similar to that of the Sixth Amendment.
In many state codes of criminal procedure, the indictment serves to protect the constitutional rights of the accused. In Louisiana, for example, the purpose of an information bill is to inform a defendant of the nature and reason for the charge against him, as required by the Louisiana State Constitution (State v. Stevenson, 2003 WL 183998 [La. App. 2003]). Nglish: Translation of the indictment for the thesaurus into Spanish: All synonyms and antonyms for the accusation n. 1) In legal terms, indictment means formally charging someone with a crime, either by indictment by grand jury or by the filing of charges by a district attorney. 2) in simple terms, any allegation of misconduct by another person. The indictment comes from the verb to accuse, which means to charge someone with a crime. It is important to remember that an indictment occurs when someone thinks another person has done something wrong or committed a crime.
However, this does not mean that the person is guilty. There must be evidence – an investigation or trial, even an admission of guilt – before a conviction, which means that the person is really guilty. Middle English accusacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin accÅ«sÄtiÅn-, accÅ«sÄtiÅ, from accÅ«sÄre “to blame, to accuse of a crime” + -tiÅn-, -tiÅ, Suffix of the names of action â plus to accuse ACCUSATION, crim. Law. An indictment against a competent official against someone who has committed a crime or misdemeanour so that he can be tried and punished. 2. Failure to lay charges may, in certain cases, be considered an administrative offence or misappropriation of funds. (so-called) 1 Br.
Civ. Act, 247; 2 id. 389; Inst. lib. 4, Tit. 18.3. It is a rule that no human being is obliged to charge himself or herself or testify against himself in criminal proceedings. Accusare nemo se debet nisi coram Deo. Voids evidence; interest; Witness. A formal criminal complaint against a person accused of committing a criminal offence, which is filed with a court or judge investigating the alleged crime. See, for example, Rothgery v.
Gillespie County, Tex., 554 U.S. 191 (2008) and U.S. v. Patterson, 150 U.S. 65 (1893). In order to cancel a fact sheet or other accusatory instrument, the defendant must provide direct evidence that is not supported by the protocol and demonstrate that the bill was inadequate. The defendant usually has the burden of proof to prove that the adversarial instrument was inadequate. The rules of evidence in a particular jurisdiction apply to the conclusive determination of the sufficiency of the accusing act.
n. a statement of the alleged facts contained in a complaint (a written statement filed to initiate a prosecution), a criminal complaint or an affirmative defence (part of the written response to a complaint). Until every statement is proven, it is just a statement. Some accusations are made “on the basis of information and beliefs” when the person making the statement is unsure of a fact.