bradsmith38
New Member
- Jurisdiction
- Illinois
What is the minimum age to sign criminal complaints?
legal reference source?
legal reference source?
-
Welcome to our legal community! Click here or the create new topic button to ask a question and receive answers and comments from our friendly and helpful legal community.
Articles that answer frequent legal questions are in our Law Guide. Important legal news is reported in The Law JournalYou can find a lawyer near you in the Lawyer Directory. If you know that you need to hire an attorney, you can submit a case review from a lawyer.
Minimum Age To Sign Complaints
- Thread Starter bradsmith38
- Start date
mightymoose
Moderator
Your question could mean a few things, but the answer is the same. There isn't one.
If a crime has been committed or is suspected them report it to law enforcement. After that it is beyond your control.
If a crime has been committed or is suspected them report it to law enforcement. After that it is beyond your control.
cbg
Super Moderator
Brad, by any chance are you a minor?
Zigner
Well-Known Member
Maybe Brad doesn't like that a child filed a a complaint against him?
Or, maybe, Brad is doing homework.
EDIT: Or, maybe, Brad's kid needs to file a complaint against somebody.
Or, maybe, Brad is doing homework.
EDIT: Or, maybe, Brad's kid needs to file a complaint against somebody.
So many possibilities....
Tax Counsel
Well-Known Member
What you do mean by "sign criminal complaints"? Two possibilities come to mind: (1) the age of the victim or witness reporting that a crime occurred and (2) the age of the prosecutor filing a criminal complaint in court?
If you explain why you are asking the question that will help in providing you better answers.
army judge
Super Moderator
The law seems to be silent on the age of the complainant.
In Illinois criminal complaints are signed (under oath) and lodged by law enforcement officers, a complainant, or other person(s) having knowledge of the criminal act alleged.
A complaint frequently initiates a felony charge; it generally is the charging document filed in the preliminary hearing court but, as indicated below, either an information or an indictment must be filed for a felony trial to occur.
A complaint alone, however, is sufficient to bring the prosecution of all petty offenses and misdemeanors.
In such cases, a court may proceed to trial based solely upon a complaint without any further determination of probable cause.
A traffic citation issued by a peace officer serves the same function as a formal complaint in charging violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
Read all about the process and more provided for the education of the public by the Illinois State Bar Association:
https://www.isba.org/sites/default/files/Media Law Handbook Chapter 06 - Criminal Procedure.pdf
Share this page
