Terms Used In Missouri Laws 545.250

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020

When any person has knowledge of the commission of a crime, he may make his affidavit before any person authorized to administer oaths, setting forth the offense and the person or persons charged therewith, and file the same with the clerk of the court having jurisdiction of the offense, for the use of the prosecuting attorney, or deposit it with the prosecuting attorney, furnishing also the names of the witnesses for the prosecution; and it shall be the duty of the prosecuting attorney to file an information, as soon as practicable, upon said affidavit, as directed in section 545.240.