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.
Can Trump Still Run for President After Being Convicted of a Felony?
Donald J. Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony offense. In a historic decision, a 12-person Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, in an effort to disguise a hush money payment made to adult film star...
