What is the purpose of an indictment?

The purpose of an indictment is to formally accuse someone of a crime. This legal process involves a grand jury reviewing evidence presented by a prosecutor to determine whether there is enough evidence to charge a person with a specific criminal offense. If the grand jury finds sufficient grounds, it issues an indictment, which serves as an official accusation against the individual, allowing the case to move forward to trial.

An indictment is a crucial step in the criminal justice system, ensuring that serious charges are supported by sufficient evidence before a public trial. This procedure is intended to protect individuals from baseless criminal accusations and to uphold the principle of due process.

The other options relate to different legal processes: initiating a civil lawsuit pertains to civil law rather than criminal charges, proposing legislation involves the legislative process and is unrelated to the criminal justice system, and enforcing a court ruling pertains to the execution of decisions made in a court, which is distinct from the criminal charges initiated by an indictment.