What term refers to the document prepared by law enforcement to charge a defendant?

• A. Criminal Complaint
• B. Capital Felony
• C. Grand Jury
• D. Sealed Indictment

Answer: (A)

A criminal complaint is the formal document filed with a court that accuses someone of a crime, outlining the essential facts and the statute allegedly violated, and often requesting an arrest warrant or an initial appearance. It is typically prepared by law enforcement (or a prosecutor acting on their behalf) to initiate the case and establish probable cause for charging.

The other terms refer to different charging mechanisms or offense classifications rather than the charging document itself: a capital felony is a crime category, not a document; a grand jury is the body that determines whether to issue an indictment; a sealed indictment is an indictment kept confidential until unsealed, which is still an indictment, not the initial charging document prepared by law enforcement.