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Simple English definitions for legal terms
true bill
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A quick definition of true bill:
Term: True bill
Definition: A true bill is a decision made by a group of people called a Grand Jury to charge someone with a crime. If the Grand Jury thinks there is enough evidence to show that the person probably committed the crime, they give a true bill. This means the person will be charged with the crime. But if the Grand Jury thinks there is not enough evidence, they give a no bill, which means the person will not be charged. The federal government and most states use Grand Juries to decide whether to charge someone with a crime.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: True bill (also called true bill of indictment) refers to a decision made by a Grand Jury to indict a criminal defendant. This decision is made when the Grand Jury believes that the prosecution has provided enough evidence to show probable cause.
For example, if a person is accused of committing a crime, the prosecution will present evidence to a Grand Jury. If the Grand Jury believes that there is enough evidence to show that the person probably committed the crime, they will issue a true bill. This means that the person will be formally charged with the crime and will have to go to trial.
However, if the Grand Jury does not believe that there is enough evidence to show probable cause, they will issue a no bill. This means that the person will not be charged with the crime and the case will be dropped.
Grand juries are used by the federal government and all states except for Pennsylvania and Connecticut in some capacity for criminal indictments.