Final answer:
The common stages of a criminal case include filing a criminal charge, discovery, and trial & appeal; filing a complaint is not typically a stage of a criminal case.
Step-by-step explanation:
The stage among the options listed that is not one of the common stages of a criminal case is filing a complaint. The common stages of a criminal case usually include filing a criminal charge, discovery, and trial & appeal. Filing a complaint is typically associated with civil cases, not criminal proceedings. In a criminal case, the government files charges against a person alleged to have violated the law. Discovery is the pre-trial stage in which both sides exchange information, and a trial may culminate in an appeal if the losing side wishes to contest the verdict or the manner in which the trial was conducted.