§ 388 Indictment or information is first pleading.

Here's a plain English summary:

When the state brings criminal charges against someone, the case officially starts with a document called an indictment or an information. This is the very first paper filed in the case on the state's side.

An indictment usually comes from a grand jury, while an information is filed by a prosecutor without a grand jury. Either way, this document lays out the formal charges against the person accused of a crime. Everything else that happens in the case builds on this starting point.