What is an indictment?

Answer 1

An indictment is the charging instrument the state uses to accuse an individual of a crime. It must allege that the defendant committed the acts necessary with the level of intent necessary to be considered a crime. It must allege with enough specificity to give the defendant notice of what he/she is being accused of.
An indictment is a part of the legal system and is a blame for wrongdoing such as committing a crime.

Answer 2

An "indictment" is a document issued by a grand jury charging one or more persons with the commission of a criminal offense. In most states, a matter involving a "capital crime", that is, a crime punishable by death, must be submitted to a grand jury as the sole means of "charging" the person with the crime. Other felony and even misdomeanor offenses can be submitted to the grand jury but today they rarely are. Instead, the prosecuting officer having jurisdiction over the crime simply files an "information" with the court charging the alleged offender with the crime. After filing the "information", a "preliminary hearing" may be held wherein the judge determines if there is sufficient probable cause and reliable evidence to permit the matter to be submitted to a jury.

Answer 3

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, an indictment is:

"A written statement charging a party with the commission of a crime or other offense, drawn up by a prosecuting attorney and found and presented by a grand jury."

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Answer 4

An indictment is a formal accusation of a felony, issued by a grand jury based upon a proposed charge, witnesses' testimony and other evidence presented by the public prosecutor (District Attorney). It is the grand jury's determination that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial voted by a grand jury.

Answer 5

An indictment is a formal charge handed down from the grand jury, showing that they believe there is enough evidence to warrant trying the accused.