Knowledge is essentially communicated information.It is a formalcriminal chargethat initiates thecriminal proceedingsin courts. It is simply a formalaccusation, also known as acomplaintthat theprosecuting attorney(or sometimes some other law officer) usually files. It explicitly states allegedcrimesand has to be given to thedefendant, accused wrongdoer, upon their first court appearance. When this is filed, it is basically charging a party, usually an individual or maybe corporation with some wrongdoing or othercriminal violation of law. This accusation charge is very similar to anindictment. The difference here though is that it is the publicprosecutorwho brings this whereas agrand jurybrings anindictment. Later, some or maybe all of thechargesprovided in the information will move on totrial, or if they do not move totrial, they aredismissed.
If the alleged charges include afelony, then there must be a preliminary hearing shortly after the delivery of the information. This then requires theprosecutionto show sufficient evidence to convince the judge that the defendant likely committed the crimes and that these crimes actually were committed in the first place.
In some types of criminal cases, information can be a substitute for a presentment or an indictment by a grand jury. Information is also used incivil casesto mandate penalties or forfeitures regarding legal violations. Various state and federal statutes and constitutions regulate the procedures regarding the use of an information.
[Last updated in June of 2020 by theWex Definitions Team]
