A grand jury's written accusation that a given individual has committed a crime is called what?

• A. Information
• B. Plea bargaining
• C. Indictment
• D. Arraignment

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how formal criminal charges are started. When a grand jury finds probable cause and issues a formal, written accusation that a person committed a crime, that document is called an indictment. It serves as the official charging document that launches the prosecution in many jurisdictions.

In contrast, an information is a prosecutor’s written accusation filed without a grand jury, usually after a preliminary hearing. An arraignment is the defendant’s first court appearance to hear the charges and enter a plea. Plea bargaining is the negotiation to plead guilty in exchange for a concession, not a charging document itself.