Definition

Noun: 1. A formal legal accusation charging someone with the crime of murder: A "murder indictment" is a written statement formally issued by a grand jury, alleging that a specific person or persons has committed murder and should be put on trial. It represents the formal criminal charge before a trial begins.

Usage

• A "murder indictment" is the specific legal document that initiates the prosecution for murder. It is not the trial itself, but the official charging instrument.
• It is typically issued after a grand jury review of evidence presented by a prosecutor.
• The phrase is used in formal legal, judicial, and journalistic contexts.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to be under murder indictment": To be the subject of such a formal charge.
  • The former official is under murder indictment and will be arraigned next week.
• "to hand down a murder indictment": For a grand jury to issue or deliver the formal charge.
  • The grand jury is expected to hand down a murder indictment today.

Variants and Related Words

• Indictment (n): The general legal term for a formal accusation of a serious crime.
• Indict (v): The action of formally accusing someone of a crime.
• Murder charge (n): A less formal, more general term for the accusation of murder, which may or may not refer specifically to the grand jury document.

Synonyms

• Murder charge: (A general synonym, though it may lack the specific legal formality of an "indictment").
• Homicide indictment: (A closely related term, as "homicide" is a broader category that includes murder).

Notes on Meaning

• The term is a compound noun where "murder" specifies the type of crime and "indictment" specifies the type of legal document/accusation. It refers specifically to the formal written charge, not the act of murder itself.
• In some jurisdictions, the process and terminology may differ (e.g., information, complaint), but "murder indictment" specifically implies a grand jury has found probable cause for the charge.

Noun

1. an indictment charging someone with murder