Louisiana Private Investigator Licensing Practice Exam

The legal document that formally accuses an individual of a crime is the indictment. An indictment is issued by a grand jury and serves as a charge against a person, initiating a criminal case. This process typically requires evidence presented by a prosecutor to establish probable cause that a crime was committed. When an indictment is returned, it leads to the individual being formally charged and needing to respond to the allegations.

In contrast, a complaint does not necessarily involve a grand jury and can be used in civil cases or preliminary criminal cases to outline the basic facts and claims against a defendant. A motion is a request made to the court to obtain a ruling or order, rather than accusing someone of a crime. A summons, meanwhile, is a document that notifies a person that they are being sued or required to appear in court, but it does not carry the formal accusation of a crime. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for grasping the legal processes involved in criminal proceedings.