Kansas Statutes 22-2303. Prosecution begun by filing indictment or information; issuance of warrant; summons
Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 22-2303
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
(1) When an indictment is returned, as provided by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-3011, and amendments thereto, a prosecution shall be deemed to have been begun. In misdemeanor cases, cigarette or tobacco infraction cases and traffic infraction cases a prosecution may be begun by filing an information in the district court. Such information shall be verified positively or shall be accompanied by affidavits stating the facts constituting the crime charged. When an information is filed under this section further proceedings shall be had only after the judge has determined from the information, or from an affidavit or affidavits filed with the information or from other evidence that there is probable cause to believe both that a crime has been committed and that the defendant has committed it.
(2) Except in traffic infraction and cigarette or tobacco infraction cases, when a prosecution is begun by the filing of an indictment or information, upon which the judge has made a finding of probable cause as provided in subsection (1), a warrant for the arrest of the defendant shall issue forthwith unless otherwise directed by the court. In felony and misdemeanor cases, the court may order that a summons issue instead of a warrant. In traffic infraction and cigarette or tobacco infraction cases the court shall order that a summons issue instead of a warrant.