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in·for·ma·tion n: an instrument containing a formal accusation of a crime that is issued by a prosecuting officer and that serves the same function as an indictment presented by a grand jury compare complaint 2, indictment◇ About half the states in the United States allow prosecutors to issue informations. The rest require indictment.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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(charge) noun
accusal, accusation, allegation, charge, criminal accusal, formal accusation, formal averment, formal charge, formal criminal charge, formal criminal complaint, official criminal charge, prosecutorial complaint, written accusation
associated concepts: felony information, misdemeanor information
II
(facts) noun
communique, data, exact data, figures, news, notice, notification, specifics, statistics
III
(knowledge) noun
acquired facts, acquired knowledge, available facts, book learning, collected writings, communication, communique, compilations, comprehension, education, enlightenment, erudition, experience, familiarity, grasp, intelligence, intelligent grip, knowledge, knowledge of facts, known facts, learning, lore, mental grasp, revelation, understanding, wisdom
associated concepts: duty to ascertain information, privileged information, upon information and belief, withholding information
foreign phrases:
- Nemo tenetur informare qui nescit, sed quisquis scire quod infomtat — No one who is ignorant of a thing is bound to give information about it, but everyone is bound to know that concerning which he gives information.IV index accusation, advice, charge (accusation), clue, communication (statement), complaint, comprehension, connotation, data, direction (guidance), disclosure (something disclosed), dispatch (message), edification, file, guidance, intelligence (news), knowledge (awareness), knowledge (learning), monition (warning), notice (announcement), notification, presentment, publicity, report (detailed account), science (study)
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.A written document filed with the court accusing someone of a crime that serves essentially the same function as an indictment but without a grand jury, informing the accused of the charge against him or her.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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in English criminal procedure, the statement informing a magistrate of the offence in respect of which a warrant or summons is sought.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
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The name of the document, sometimes called a criminal complaint or petition, in which a prosecutor charges a criminal defendant with a crime, either a felony or a misdemeanor. The information tells the defendant what crime he or she is being charged with, as well as against whom and when the offense allegedly occurred. However, the prosecutor need not go into great detail. A defendant who wants more specifics must ask by way of a discovery request. Compare: indictmentCategory: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n. A criminal charge, typically for a lesser offense, that is filed by a prosecutor without resorting to a grand jury.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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The formal accusation of a criminal offense made by a public official; the sworn, written accusation of a crime.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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The formal accusation of a criminal offense made by a public official; the sworn, written accusation of a crime.II Accusatory document, filed by the prosecutor, detailing the charges against the defendant. An alternative to an indictment, it serves to bring a defendant to trial.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
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n.an accusation or criminal charge brought by the public prosecutor (District Attorney) without a Grand Jury indictment. This "information" must state the alleged crimes in writing and must be delivered to the defendant at the first court appearance (arraignment). If the accusation is for a felony, there must be a preliminary hearing within a short period (such as five days) in which the prosecution is required to present enough evidence to convince the judge holding the hearing that the crime or crimes charged were committed and the defendant is likely to have committed them. If the judge becomes convinced, the defendant must face trial, and if the judge does not, the case against the defendant is dismissed. Sometimes it is a mixed bag, in that some of the charges in the information are sufficient for trial and the case is sent (remanded) to the appropriate court, and some are dismissed.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
