Rule 2.56 Approval of the complaint

Before a criminal case can move forward, a judge or magistrate has to look at the complaint against the person and decide if there's probable cause. Probable cause means there's enough evidence to reasonably believe the person committed the crime they're being accused of.

If the magistrate finds probable cause, they approve the complaint. This step acts as a check to make sure charges aren't filed against someone without at least some solid reason to believe they broke the law. Without this approval, the case can't proceed.