An Arizona Criminal Complaint is a formal written statement by a prosecutor that charges a person with a crime and initiates criminal proceedings. It is the equivalent of an indictment in other jurisdictions. A criminal complaint is used to provide the court with the basis for issuing a criminal complaint or an arrest warrant. There are two types of Arizona Criminal Complaints: Complaint for Offenses and Complaint for Violations. A Complaint for Offenses is used when charging a person with a felony or a class 1 misdemeanor, while a Complaint for Violations is used to charge a person with class 2 and class 3 misdemeanors. The Complaint should include the name of the accused, the offense or violation, the date of the offense or violation, and a short description of the facts that support the charge. The Complaint must be signed by the prosecutor and must be approved by a judge before it can be filed.