Page "Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution" Paragraph 15

A criminal defendant has the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him.

Therefore, an indictment must allege all the ingredients of the crime to such a degree of precision that it would allow the accused to assert double jeopardy if the same charges are brought up in subsequent prosecution.

The Supreme Court held in United States v. Carll, that “ in an indictment ... it is not sufficient to set forth the offense in the words of the statute, unless those words of themselves fully, directly, and expressly, without any uncertainty or ambiguity, set forth all the elements necessary to constitute the offense intended to be punished .” Vague wording, even if taken directly from a statute, does not suffice.

However, the government is not required to hand over written copies of the indictment free of charge.