Criminal reports inform law enforcement of criminal activity. Complaints can be filed during or after the crime, and investigations determine if charges will be filed. Detailed information and evidence can aid investigations, but charges may not always be pressed. Victims may be referred to civil litigation attorneys.
Criminal reports are descriptions of criminal activity submitted by victims of that activity. The purpose of a complaint is to inform law enforcement and the justice system of the existence of a criminal act. An investigation will be conducted into the response to the complaint and, if founded, charges may be brought to take the suspected perpetrator to court to respond to the complaint.
One way to file a criminal complaint is to call law enforcement while a crime is occurring. Police officers can arrive, take the perpetrator into custody and set the wheels in motion to take the case to court. In other cases, people may file criminal complaints after the fact. This usually begins with a report to law enforcement leading to the generation of a case report. This report can be used when approaching a district attorney or district court to file a criminal complaint.
Criminal complaint investigations are conducted to determine what happened and whether or not they were of a criminal nature. Investigators also consider the likelihood of a successful prosecution based on available information. There may be times when a criminal complaint is filed but no charges are filed. This may be due to lack of sufficient evidence or because a lawsuit belongs to the civil court. People who have filed criminal complaints can request information about their status to learn when and if charges will be filed.
Criminal reports provide a mechanism for people to report criminal activity and request action on it. When a complaint is filed, people will be asked to fill out paperwork documenting the specifics of the situation. The more information that is available, the easier it will be to investigate the complaint. Detailed information about the people involved, the time the event occurred and the place where it occurred is very useful. If people have evidence, it should also be raised so that law enforcement can take action to secure the evidence in case it is needed for a trial.
Although criminal complaints must be investigated, detectives are not required to press charges. One thing that the investigators consider is the cooperation of the victim. Victims who are not interested in pressing charges can make poor witnesses if the complaint results in a trial. Another issue can be whether or not there is enough evidence to support a case in court. Individuals filing complaints that might be more appropriately handled in civil court will be advised of this and may be referred to a civil litigation attorney.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
