As a criminal defense lawyer, I often get this question. An indictment is a document that advises an accused of felony charges that have been filed against them. A felony offense is typically punishable by a prison term of greater than one year. An indictment is issued by a grand jury, which is a group of citizens, empowered by law to conduct proceedings to investigate potential criminal conduct, and to determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury is separate from a petit jury, which is used by the courts to conduct trials. A grand jury’s primary function is to investigate potential criminal conduct. A petit jury’s function in a criminal case is to determine the facts, and to determine if the Government has been proven that a person has violated the law. Once a person is served a copy of an indictment, an arraignment hearing is set for an accused to answer to the charges filed in the indictment.
New York and Texas Head Toward Constitutional Showdown Over Abortion Shield Laws
Texas and New York are currently locked in an escalating state's rights battle over the mailing of abortion pills to patients in states with abortion bans. The central question is whether states must honor one another's abortion laws. After the U.S. Supreme Court...
