An indictment is an ac-cusation in writing found and presented by a grand jury, legally convoked and sworn, to the court in which it is impaneled, charg-ing that a person therein named has done some act, or been guilty of some omission, which, by law, is a publlc offense, punishable on indictment. Code Iowa 1880, | 4295; Pen. Code Cal. 8 917; Code Ala. 1886, | 4364. And see Grin v. Shine, 187 U. 8. 181, 23 Sup. Ct 98, 47 L. Ed. 130; State v. walker, 32 N. G 236; Ex parte Hart, 63 Fed. 259, 11 C. C. A. 165, 28 L. R. A. 801; Ex parte Bain, 121 U. S. 1, 7 Sup. Ct 781, 30 L. Ed. 849; Ex parte Slater, 72 Mo. 102; Finley v. State, 61 Ala. 201
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
