Arrest Warrant and Indictment Forms is all about criminal pleadings. Most of the manual consists of forms that may be used to draft valid criminal pleadings. The forms are intended to be straightforward, but readers are more likely to use the forms successfully if they have a grasp of the basic legal principles that apply to criminal pleadings. How much detail are pleadings supposed to contain? Is it permissible to refer to a defendant's previous convictions in a pleading? Not every criminal offense is covered in the manual, so officers, prosecutors, magistrates, and others will sometimes need to draft pleadings without a form to consult. Again, this process is more likely to be successful with an understanding of the legal rules for pleadings.