What Does A Sealed Indictment Mean? 

By  //  April 16, 2021

In the judicial system field, the following words, a sealed indictment, is described in the following explanation. An indictment that the court seals means that an indictment is kept secret from the public eye until a specified time.

A sealed indictment implies that no individual can disclose the existence or contents of the indictment. No one is privy to whom the individual is under investigation and arrested, notified, or released before their scheduled trial.

The only individual who is allowed the contents of a sealed indictment is the person arresting the individual.  Protecting the rights of the accused is primary reason for an indictment.

An indictment can be a pending indictment meaning that the defendant has not yet been served, charged, or arrested. Indictments remain in a pending status until the Grand Jury examines all evidence.

The case of a federal indictment, also known as a bill indictment or true bill, contains written accusations forming the foundation of a criminal case in the Federal Court of the United States. The first step to this federal indictment begins when the prosecutor files their initial complaint.

Who Signs a Sealed Indictment?

Judges in a court of law do not sign sealed indictments. Persons who sign this document returned by the Grand Jury are signed by the Grand Jury foreman and the District Attorney. As soon as an indictment is sealed in a criminal case, the individual or defendant can enter their plea. If the defendant enters a guilty plea, the sentencing hearing can come quickly but, if the defendant enters a not guilty plea, their case proceeds to a court trial.

The purpose of an indictment is to prevent frivolous charges. The first step towards an indictment means that the prosecutor must convince the grand jury that there is enough evidence to file an indictment against the defendant. An indictment helps to bring in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff or defendant related to civil cases. In the case of a criminal case, the indictment leads to a guilty or not guilty call.

In all of these cases related to indictments, the defendant needs to hire a seasoned and experienced criminal defense attorney. This attorney has a track record of winning cases, protecting the defendant’s rights, and becomes an advocate for the defendant. Our specialties include the following family law areas: divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, divorce, and more.

Additional practice expertise includes the following.

■ Domestic Violence

■ Assault and Battery

■ Driving citations such as DUIs, License issues, traffic offenses

■ Homicides

■ Burglary

■ Trespassing

■ Removal of Mugshots

■ Criminal Appeals

■ Obstruction of Justice

■ Sealing of Records and Expungement

■ Self-Defense Law

■ Kidnappings

Our law firm sees hundreds of cases overturned for many of our clients so that our client does not face lifelong consequences such as,

■ Those facing a life sentence underage drinking charges

■ Clients wrongfully accused due to the mistakes of other people

■ Avoided unnecessary prosecution

■ Unmasked blotched undercover cases

■ Finding clients innocent of what they are charged

■ False accusations

■ Overturning a felony charge to a civil citation

■ Overturning felonies to misdemeanors

■ Dismissal of criminal charges

■ Prison sentences overturned

■ Initial and severe charges dropped

■ Fight unfair and unjust accusations towards the accused

■Case dismissals

A Call to Action to Defend the Defendants’ Rights

The attorneys at this law firm, located in Orlando, Florida, are devoted and committed to seeing that their clients have a fair and just case through protecting the client’s rights. This firm works hard for their defendant to assure that they get the best possible outcome of their case. We are at our clients’ service 24/7. Our primary goals are protecting the rights of the accused.

Clients find our law firm shows them ultimate compassion, respect, dignity, and understanding. We stand beside each client from the beginning to the end of their case while providing sound and quality legal support. We work hard for each client to understand the process of our judicial system and what to expect should their case go to trial.

These attorneys at this law firm show many years of success and are known in Orlando and surrounding areas as undefeated trial attorneys. The attorneys at this Orlando law firm works hard to preserve all client’s rights. This law practice has and continues to advocate for the stopping of prison abuse. This law firm works tenaciously protecting the rights of the accused.

These seasoned attorneys represented clients in hundreds of different criminal cases related to various situations, from driving citations such as speeding tickets and DUI arrests to self-defense, assault, and battery to homicide cases. The well-rounded, experienced attorneys at Panella Law Firm are wholly devoted to advocating for each client and securing justice for all clients.  No matter what, finding an attorney is critical to understanding these processes and how they specifically impact your case.