After reviewing the facts and circumstances of each case, the prosecutor will usually formally file charges. The most common means of prosecution is an information. The information should be a clear and concise statement of the crime charged. The information should contain the essential facts necessary for the State to prove the crime charged. The essential facts constituting an offense are venue, jurisdiction, identity of the accused, the time and date of the offense and the elements of the offense.
Venue is the place where the crime happened.
Jurisdiction is the authority of the court over the individual. An information can contain more then one charge. Additionally, an information can charge more than one person with the commission of the offense. Once the information or indictment has been read aloud in court, the defendant must enter a plea. This means that the defendant must either acknowledge guilt or enter a plea of not guilty.