Criminal charges are formal accusations of criminal conduct made by a governmental authority against a person or entity. Criminal charges are usually filed or initiated by a city, county, state, or the federal government, acting through a public prosecutor—also known as a municipal prosecutor, county attorney, district attorney, state attorney general, or United States Attorney (for federal crimes). Criminal charges range from low-level misdemeanors such as traffic tickets to first degree felonies such as capital murder.

The charging document in which the specific crime(s) alleged to have been committed are specified may be referred to as (1) a complaint; (2) an information; (3) an indictment; (4) a citation; or (5) a traffic ticket.

In Kentucky, criminal charges are formal allegations made by the government that an individual or entity has engaged in criminal conduct. These charges can be initiated by various levels of government, including city, county, state, or federal authorities, and are prosecuted by officials such as municipal prosecutors, county attorneys, commonwealth's attorneys, the state attorney general, or U.S. Attorneys for federal offenses. The severity of charges in Kentucky ranges from misdemeanors, like minor traffic violations, to serious felonies, including capital murder which may carry the death penalty or life imprisonment. The specific criminal accusations are detailed in charging documents, which can be a complaint, information, indictment, citation, or traffic ticket. A complaint or citation typically initiates misdemeanor charges, while felonies are generally prosecuted based on an indictment or information following a grand jury proceeding or a preliminary hearing, respectively.