Typically, the police are responsible for filing charges against people who commit crimes. The Office of the District Attorney strongly recommends that the victim of any crime committed within Northampton County contact their local Police Department. Police officers are trained to investigate potential crimes, determine whether a crime was committed, and file the appropriate charges.
However, Rule 506 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure allows for individuals who are not members of law enforcement to submit their own private criminal complaints. A private individual has the same burden as a law enforcement officer when filing criminal charges, including providing all the information required under Rule 504 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. An individual who files a private criminal complaint must establish probable cause that the defendant named within the complaint committed a specific criminal offense. Mere allegations without evidence will not suffice.