Rule 14.5 Waiver of Indictment; Proceeding by Information

If you're charged with a felony, the case usually has to start with an indictment from a grand jury. That's the normal path prosecutors must follow before you can be tried for a serious crime.

There's one exception. You can skip the grand jury process if you agree to it. To do this, you need to have a lawyer, and you have to sign a written statement, made under oath, saying you're giving up your right to an indictment. If you do this, the prosecutor can charge you through a document called an "information" instead of waiting for a grand jury.

This means you have a choice. You don't have to wait for a grand jury to decide whether there's enough evidence to charge you. Instead, with your lawyer's help, you can agree to move the case forward faster by waiving that step. But this only works if you have a lawyer and you put your agreement in writing under oath.