Criminal charge

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A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority (usually a public prosecutor or the police) asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including:

• complaint
• information
• indictment
• citation
• traffic ticket

The charging document is what generally starts a criminal case in court. But the procedure by which somebody is charged with a crime and what happens when somebody has been charged varies from country to country and even, within a country, from state to state.

Before a person is found guilty of a crime, a criminal charge must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.^[1]

Punishment

There can be multiple punishments due to certain criminal charges. Minor criminal charges such as

Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects the right to a fair trial.

United States

In the United States, people facing criminal charges in any situation enjoy certain rights under the

As per Article 21 of the Constitution of India, "No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law, nor shall any person be denied equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India". It also covers a just and fair trial without any arbitrary procedure, which confers that arrest should not only be legal but also justified. In this context, this article consists of the procedural and constitutional rights of the accused before and after the arrest in India. Except when exceptions are created, the accused person, unless and until provided otherwise, is considered innocent until proven guilty before the court of law.[5]

Prosecution

Many people avoid criminal charges by staying out of the state where they committed the crime. A person facing state criminal charges is always prosecuted in the state where they committed the charges.^[6] A person may be able to get away with minor violations like a ticket, but they will not be able to hide from something like a misdemeanor or a felony. There are about sixty criminal charges that are considered more serious that people face every day. These charges can range from less serious actions such as shoplifting or vandalism to more serious crimes such as murder.^[7]

Reckoning

A person may be unaware that they have been charged. They can contact an attorney to ascertain if they have charged with any crime. A police officer may also charge someone after investigating the possible crime committed.^[1][2][6][7]

References