Information in the United States
An accusation made by a prosecuting attorney before a court. The information is offered under oath and supports the charges with at least probable cause level evidence. The information is used in almost every state for misdemeanors, but more than half the states have also substituted the information for grand jury indictment even for serious crimes. An information is almost identical to a complaint except it is signed by the prosecutor instead of a police officer or the victim. The federal government, though required to use grand juries for serious crimes by provision of the Fifth Amendment, has begun using the information for less serious crimes.
See Also
Complaint (Criminal Process) Indictment (Criminal Process) Preliminary Hearing (Criminal Process).
Analysis and Relevance
The information is designed to determine if sufficient evidence exists to bind a defendant over for trial. The information places final determination of whether probable cause exists in the hands of a judicial officer rather than a grand jury. The Supreme Court ruled in Hurtado v. California (110 U.S. 516: 1884) that states could use the information without violating the Fourteenth Amendment. The Hurtado ruling still stands. Indeed, the pattern has been that most states have substituted the information for grand jury proceedings for some, if not all, criminal offenses. While protecting the accused from being taken to trial arbitrarily, the information is also much more cost-efficient than the grand jury.
Notes and References
- Definition of Information from the American Law Dictionary, 1991, California
Information Definition
The communication of material facts for the first time. 4 M. & W. 24. In French Law. The act or instrument which contains the depositions of witnesses against the accused. Poth. Proc. Civ. § 2, art. 5. In Practice. A criminal information is an accusation or a complaint exhibited against a person for some criminal offense. It differs principally from an indictment in this, that an indictment is found upon the oath of twelve men and an information is only the allegation of the officer who exhibits it. 4 Bl. Comm. 308. It is a prosecution originating with an officer, but may originate with a private citizen, but its object is, not compensation to the informer, but solely the public advantage. 67 Mo. 379. Informations “are of two sorts; first, those which are partly at the suit of the king and partly at that of a subject; and secondly, such as are only in the name of the king.” And the last “are of two kinds; first those which are tijuly and properly his own suits, and filed ex officio by his own officer, the Attorney-General; and secondly, those in which, though the King is the nominal prosecutor, yet it is at the relation of some private person or common informer. 12 Conn. 452. Criminal Informations are analogous to declarations for the redress of a personal injury, except that the latter are at the suit of a subject for the satisfaction of a private wrong, and the former are in the name of the King, for the punishment of offences affecting the interests of the public. 20 N. H. 296. The process has not been formally put in motion by congress for misdemeanors, but is common in civil- prosecutions for penalties and forfeitures. 3 Story, Const. 659. The information is usually made upon knowledge given by some other person than the officer, called the “relator.” The term is also applied to the pleadmg by which proceedings by the government, particularly those of a quasi criminal character, are begun.
Information in Foreign Legal Encyclopedias
Link | Description |
---|---|
Information | Information in the World Legal Encyclopedia. |
Information | Information in the European Legal Encyclopedia. |
Information | Information in the Asian Legal Encyclopedia. |
Information | Information in the UK Legal Encyclopedia. |
Information | Information in the Australian Legal Encyclopedia. |
Browse the American Encyclopedia of Law for Information
Scan Information in the appropriate area of law:
Link | Description |
---|---|
Information | Information in the Family Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the IP Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Commercial Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Criminal Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Antritrust Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Bankruptcy Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Constitutional Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Tax Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the and Finance and Banking Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Employment and Labor Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Personal Injury and Tort Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Information | Information in the Environmental Law Portal of the American Encyclopedia of Law. |
Explore other Reference Works
Resource | Description |
---|---|
Information in the Dictionaries | Information in our legal dictionaries |
http://lawi.us/information | The URI of Information (more about URIs) |
Information related entries | Find related entries of Information |
Legal Issue for Attorneys
The communication of material facts for the first time. 4 M. & W. 24. In French Law. The act or instrument which contains the depositions of witnesses against the accused. Poth. Proc. Civ. § 2, art. 5. In Practice. A criminal information is an accusation or
a complaint exhibited against a person for some criminal offense. It differs principally from an indictment in this, that an indictment is found upon the oath of twelve men and an information is only the allegation of the officer who exhibits it. 4 Bl. Comm. 308. It is a prosecution originating with an officer, but may originate with a private citizen, but its object is, not compensation to the informer, but solely the public advantage. 67 Mo. 379. Informations “are of two sorts; first, those which are partly at the suit of the king and partly at that of a subject; and secondly, such as are only in the name of the king.” And the last “are of two kinds; first those which are tijuly and properly his own suits, and filed ex officio by his own officer, the Attorney-General; and secondly, those in which, though the King is the nominal prosecutor, yet it is at the relation of some private person or common informer. 12 Conn. 452. Criminal Informations are analogous to declarations for the redress of a personal injury, except that the latter are at the suit of a subject for the satisfaction of a private wrong, and the former are in the name of the King, for the punishment of offences affecting the interests of the public. 20 N. H. 296. The process has not been formally put in motion by congress for misdemeanors, but is common in civil- prosecutions for penalties and forfeitures. 3 Story, Const. 659. The information is usually made upon knowledge given by some other person than the officer, called the “relator.” The term is also applied to the pleadmg by which proceedings by the government, particularly those of a quasi criminal character, are begun.
More Resources
Access Points to the American Encyclopedia of Law
Access to the Encyclopedia is provided by alphabetical arrangement of entries, table of cases, table of laws, briefs and tables of contents.
Legal Thesaurus Dictionary
Because some legal concepts are too complicated to compress to a single word or term, the legal thesaurus dictionary allows the reader to search for groups of terms, including synonyms, antonyms, expanded legal meanings and other terms the reader is likely to use. The resource includes lists, synonym rings , subject categories, taxonomies and a number of schemes.
Legal Indexes
The Index is a collection of entries to allow users to locate information in the Lawi Projects. After write down relevant words and phrases that you need, begin looking up the words and phrases using the index until you have located an applicable subject to review.
Indexes of All Encyclopedias:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Z
Index | Description |
---|---|
General Index | Index of general information about the Encyclopedia |
Classified index | Headings arranged on the basis of relations among concepts represented by headings, based on the Lawi Classification Scheme |
Topical Index | A comprehensive and easy guide to the topics of the legal Encyclopedia |
Citation Index | Index of links between citing and cited entries |
Subject Index | Identify and describe the subjects of the Encyclopedia |
Alphabetical Index | A-Z Index of all the Entries |
Thematic Index | Correlation of terms in a meaningful hierarchical order |
Permutation Index | A type of index in which significant words in the titles function as subject headings |
Browse Index | Browse the Encyclopedia by Index |
Sitemap Index | Sitemap Index, including Taxonomies |
Notice
This definition of Information Is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This definition needs to be proofread..
Information
United States Constitution
According to the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, about its article titled 698 INFORMATIONAn information is a formal written accusation against a person for a criminal offense presented under oath by a public officer, usually a prosecutor. An information is used to charge an individual with criminal activity in cases where an indictment by a grand jury is unnecessary or is
(read more about Constitutional law entries here).
Some Constitutional Law Popular Entries
- Constitutional Law Outline
- Constitutional Law Outline (United States)
- Constitutional Lawyer
- Constitutional Law of India
- Constitutional Law Definition
- Constitutional Law Cases
- Constitutional Law Cases (United States)
Resources
See Also
Information Technology; Information Theory
indictment.
Further Reading (Books)
leff, harvey s., and rex, andrew f. maxwell’s demon: entropy, information, computing. bristol, uk: adam hilger, 1990.
puddefoot, john c. “information and creation.” in the science and theology of information: proceedings of the third european conference on science and theology, ed. christoff wassermann, richard kirby, and bernard rordorff. geneva, switzerland: labor et fides, 1992.
puddefoot, john c. “information theory, biology, and christology.” in religion and science: history, method, dialogue, eds. w. mark richardson and wesley j. wildman. new york and london: routledge, 1996.
rényi, alfréd. a diary on information theory. new york: wiley, 1984.
shannon, claude e. “a mathematical theory of communication.” the bell system technical journal 27 (1948): 379-423, 623-656.
singh, simon. the code book: the science of secrecy from ancient egypt to quantum cryptography. london: fourth estate, 1999.
john c. puddefoot
Further Reading (Articles)
Leeward’s Student Magazine Wins Top Honors, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Uspto Issues Trademark: Skydive Hawaii, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Uspto Issues Trademark: Heart Failure Success Program, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Austin Positions Itself to Grow Local Jobs in Creative Workforce and Compete for Film, Television and Digital Media Projects, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Austin Parks and Recreation Department Community Gardens Program to Grow for Good, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS REPORTS ACQUISITION BY DIRECTOR KUHBACH (Illinois), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 17, 2014
CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS REPORTS ACQUISITION BY DIRECTOR SCHMITT (Illinois), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 17, 2014
TUESDAY MORNING REPORTS ACQUISITION BY DIRECTOR SMITH (Texas), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 17, 2014
Uspto Issues Trademark: Timer, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Wipo Publishes Patent of Nipponkayaku for “Polyvalent Phenylene Ether Novolac Resin, Epoxy Resin Composition and Cured Product Thereof” (Japanese Inventors), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Greensboro City Seeks Input on New Public Information Request Policy on May 23, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Partners with Local Grassroots Groups for Lake Rim Clean-Up on June 14, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Wipo Publishes Patent of Rondane Lng for “A Modified Organic Rankine Cycle (Orc) Process” (Norwegian Inventor), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
RED HAT REPORTS ACQUISITION BY DIRECTOR CLARKE (North Carolina), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Ferc Issues Order to Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line regarding Authorization to Commence Construction – Northeast Connector Project, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
ESPERION THERAPEUTICS REPORTS ACQUISITION BY DIRECTOR MCGOVERN (Michigan), US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
U.S. International Trade Commission Issues Notice about Initial Determination Review, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Issues Proposed Rule about Electronic Devices Logging, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Uspto Issues Trademark: Fysd, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Uspto Issues Trademark: Big Spaceship, US Fed News Service, Including US State News; May 19, 2014
Foia in the context of Real Estate
Resurces
See Also
- Freedom Of Information Act
Information Meaning in Law Enforcement
The written formal charge of crime by the United States Attorney, filed against an accused who, if charged with a serious crime, must have knowingly waived the requirements that the evidence first be presented to a grand jury.
Information Definition in the context of the Federal Court System
A formal accusation by a government attorney that the defendant committed a misdemeanor. An information may also be used in a felony case if the defendant formally waives his or her right to a grand jury indictment. See also “indictment.”
Information in the International Business Landscape
Definition of Information in the context of U.S. international business and public trade policy: Data in a form that is of value to a manager.
Leave a Reply