Literary notes about indict (AI summary)
The word "indict" in literature has been used in a range of senses that span from its archaic applications to its more modern legal connotations. For example, in documents like the Declaration of Independence, the term appears with a broader scope—extending even to the notion of composing a formal charge or accusation as seen in [1] and [2], and specifically indicting for trespass as noted in [3]. In contrast, in Ida B. Wells-Barnett's The Red Record, "indict" is used in a straightforward legal context where a grand jury either refuses to bring formal charges, as illustrated in [4] and [5], highlighting its fundamental role in criminal procedure and the indictment of wrongdoers. This variation of usage across texts underscores the fluidity of legal language and the evolution of the term's meaning over time.
- Enditen , v. to compose, write, indict, accuse, G, PP; endyte , C2, C3.—AF.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Atache , v. to arrest, indict, S2, PP;
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Diten , v. to indict for trespass, Prompt.—OF.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - The grand jury refused to indict him and he was discharged.
— from The Red Record by Ida B. Wells-Barnett - The grand jury refused to indict the lynchers though the names of over twenty persons who were leaders in the mob were well known.
— from The Red Record by Ida B. Wells-Barnett
