§3361 Form and Contents—(rule)

Summary

Requires an indictment for crimes that can be punished by death. For other federal crimes, the prosecutor can use either an indictment from a grand jury or an information filed by the government. Says the charging paper (indictment or information) must be a short, clear written statement of the main facts and the law broken. It must list the offense’s key parts, give enough detail (like time or place when needed), may use "on or about" dates, and must be signed by the government lawyer. The judge can order extra, unnecessary words removed.