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 Nebraska, criminal charges are formal allegations of wrongdoing brought against individuals or entities by the government. These charges can be initiated by various levels of government, including city, county, state, or federal authorities, and are prosecuted by legal officers such as municipal prosecutors, county attorneys, or the United States Attorney for federal offenses. The severity of charges in Nebraska ranges from misdemeanors, like minor traffic violations, to serious felonies, including capital murder. The specific criminal charges are detailed in charging documents, which may take the form of a complaint, information, indictment, citation, or traffic ticket. A complaint is typically used for initiating misdemeanor charges, an information or indictment for felonies (with indictments requiring grand jury proceedings), citations for minor infractions, and traffic tickets for vehicular offenses.