Rule 2.2 Felonies

When the state wants to charge someone with a felony in Arizona, it has two main options for starting the case.

The first option is to get a grand jury indictment. A grand jury is a group of citizens who review the evidence and decide if there is enough reason to formally charge someone. The state may file a complaint first before going to the grand jury, but it does not have to.

The second option is to file a complaint directly in court. This can be done in a lower-level court called a limited jurisdiction court, or in superior court if a judge gives permission.