Legal Definitions - billa vera

BILLA VERA

Billa vera is a Latin term that means "true bill". It refers to a notation made by a grand jury that a criminal charge should go before a petty jury for trial. This means that the grand jury has found enough evidence to support the charge and believes that the case should be heard in court.

For example, if a grand jury is presented with evidence of a crime and they believe that there is enough evidence to support a charge, they will return a true bill. This means that the case will go to trial and the defendant will have the opportunity to defend themselves in court.

The term billa vera is often used interchangeably with the term true bill.

• The grand jury returned a true bill, and the state prepared to prosecute.
• After reviewing the evidence, the grand jury decided to return a true bill and send the case to trial.

These examples illustrate how a grand jury can return a true bill when they believe that there is enough evidence to support a criminal charge. This means that the case will go to trial and the defendant will have the opportunity to defend themselves in court.