What is required to charge a felony in State or federal court?
An indictment that a grand jury issues. The grand jury is a group of citizens who are appointed to examine evidence and decide if there is reasonable cause for the defendant to be charged with a crime. If the grand jury does find that there is enough evidence to charge the defendant, an indictment is issued, setting out the offense charged. If the grand jury determines that there are inadequate grounds for prosecution, a “no-bill” is issued.
