Terms Used In Florida Statutes 932.63

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • True bill: Another word for indictment.
If the petitioner is not incarcerated, the prosecuting attorney shall, within 30 days of receipt of the petition, after due and diligent consideration and investigation of defendant‘s cause, file charges on behalf of the state against the defendant in the court providing criminal jury trial jurisdiction, or shall decline to file charges against the defendant, and the cause shall be dismissed upon the filing of a no true bill by the prosecuting attorney with the clerk. Upon failure of the prosecuting attorney to take action within 30 days, the cause shall be dismissed by the clerk of the court in which the cause is pending.