{"id":13738,"date":"2018-02-12T19:20:26","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T19:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reunitethestates.org\/?page_id=13738"},"modified":"2018-02-12T20:37:54","modified_gmt":"2018-02-12T20:37:54","slug":"presentment-charging-instrument","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/reunitethestates.org\/?page_id=13738","title":{"rendered":"Presentment – a written accusation returned by a grand jury on its own motion, without a prosecutor\u2019s previous indictment request, which may be used by the prosecutor as the basis for a true bill or indictment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This page is continued from Criminal Proceedings<\/a> >>>> Preliminary Hearing or Grand Jury Proceedings<\/a> >>>> Grand Jury<\/a>:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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presentment<\/span>:<\/strong><\/span>
\n (15c)<\/span><\/p>\n

1. The act of presenting or laying before a court or other tribunal a formal statement about a matter to be dealt with legally. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> Criminal procedure<\/em>. A formal written accusation returned by a grand jury on its own initiative, without a prosecutor\u2019s previous indictment request.\u00a0 *\u00a0 Presentments are obsolete in the federal courts.\u00a0<\/strong> See CHARGING INSTRUMENT. [1]
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

1. An informal accusation, made by the grand jury on its own knowledge, to be used by the prosecutor as the basis for a true bill or indictment. Bennet v Kalamazoo Circuit Judge<\/em>, 183 Mich 200, 150 NW 141<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Precisely, an accusation by a grand jury made on its own motion. Anno: 22 ALR 1367, s. 106 ALR 1388, 120 ALR 437<\/span><\/span><\/strong>;<\/span> 27 Am J1st Indict \u00a7 4<\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The words “presentment” and indictment” have come to be substantially interchangeable terms. Coons v State<\/em>, 191 Ind 580, 134 NE 194 20 ALR 900<\/span>.<\/strong> [2]<\/span><\/p>\n

1. A formal accusation of the commission of a crime made by a grand jury on its own motion, as opposed to an indictment, which it returns based upon evidence presented to it by the prosecutor.<\/strong> [3]<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Excerpt from Charles Alan Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure<\/em><\/a> (3d ed. 1999):<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cA grand jury has only two functions, either to indict or to return a \u2018no bill.\u2019\u00a0 The Constitution speaks also of a \u2018presentment,\u2019 but this is a term with a distinct historical meaning now not well understood.\u00a0 Historically presentment was the process by which a grand jury initiated an independent investigation and asked that a charge be drawn to cover the facts should they constitute a crime. With United States attorneys now always available to advise grand juries, proceeding by presentment is an outmoded practice.<\/span>\u201d<\/strong> [4]<\/span><\/p>\n

‘<\/span>References:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/span><\/span><\/strong> All material throughout this website is compiled in accordance with Fair Use<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]: Black\u2019s Law Dictionary\u00a0Deluxe Tenth Edition\u00a0by Henry Campbell Black & Editor in Chief Bryan A. Garner<\/a>. ISBN: 978-0-314-62130-6<\/b><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

[2]: Ballantine\u2019s Law Dictionary\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/strong>with Pronunciations
\n<\/b><\/span><\/em>Third Edition<\/b><\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>by James A. Ballantine\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/strong>(James Arthur 1871-1949).\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/em>Edited by William S. Anderson.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a9 1969 by THE LAWYER\u2019S CO-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING COMPANY.\u00a0 Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 68-30931<\/b><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

[3]:\u00a0\u00a0Ballantine\u2019s Law Dictionary <\/a><\/b><\/span><\/strong>Legal Assistant Edition<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/em>
\nby Jack Ballantine\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/strong>(James Arthur 1871-1949).\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/em>Doctored<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>by\u00a0Jack G. Handler,\u00a0J.D.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a9 1994 Delmar by Thomson Learning.\u00a0 ISBN 0-8273-4874-6.<\/b><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

[4]: 1 Charles Alan Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure<\/em><\/a> 5 110, at 459 (3d ed. 1999).<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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