murder indictment
- noun
- /ˈmɜrdər ɪnˈdaɪtmənt/
- The prosecutor announced that they would file a murder indictment against the individual based on new evidence.
- murder indictment returned
Examples
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In November 2015, a grand jury issued a murder indictment against the suspect following weeks of investigation.
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You know, to get a murder indictment on two White men in Mississippi is not easy.
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Yeah, you know, the place where they get murder indictments?
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I don't think We're gonna get a murder indictment unless he confesses.
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After deliberating for several hours, the jury returned a murder indictment, marking a significant step in the case.
Synonyms
A formal charge of a crime or a strong statement that criticizes someone
A formal claim in court that someone killed another person
A written charge by a government lawyer saying someone committed a crime
How Official
- Formal
- Formal
- Literature
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward compound of 'murder' (an unlawful killing) and 'indictment' (a formal charge), so its meaning 'a formal charge of murder' is directly derivable from the constituents. This noun+noun legal naming pattern is common cross-linguistically, making it immediately comprehensible to a learner who knows both words.
Etymology
The legal term murder indictment comes from old court practice when officials would publicly name a person for the crime of murder, and that naming was called an indictment. So, a murder indictment today is a 'formal charge' that someone is accused of killing another person.