An Indictment is best described as:

• A. A civil proceeding for court approval of settlement in a case involving an infant
• B. The formal accusation by a grand jury charging a person with a crime
• C. A type of criminal complaint
• D. An order by the court ordering someone to do an act or refrain from doing an act

Answer: (B)

An indictment is a formal accusation by a grand jury charging a person with a crime. In New York, the grand jury reviews evidence presented by the prosecutor and decides whether there is probable cause to believe the defendant committed the offense. If the grand jury agrees, it returns an indictment, and the case moves forward in Supreme Court as a felony prosecution. This differs from a criminal complaint or information, which are charging documents brought without a grand jury in many situations. It’s also not a civil action or an order commanding or prohibiting conduct, which would describe other legal instruments.