Question | Answer |
accessory | a person who assists in the commission of a crime, either before or after the fact |
acquit | to be found not guilty |
action, case, suit, lawsuit | a legal dispute brought into court for trial |
actus reus | an act in violation of the law, a guilty act |
adjudication | giving a judgment that protrays the decision of court |
admissible evidence | evidence which can legally and properly be used in court |
adversary system | each of the opposing parties has full opportunity to present and establish his/her oppsoing contentions before the court |
affidavit | a written and sworn statement witnessed by public or official who have the right to administer oaths |
alibi | an excuse or plea that a person was somewhere else at the time a crime was committed |
allegation | statement of a party to an action explaining what the party expects to prove |
appeal | the bringing of a case to a higher court for review |
appellate court | a court which hears appeals from a lower court |
arraignment | appearance before a judge. The defendant is told his rights, and given a lawyer if needed, and enters his plea |
arrest | taken into custody by a legal authority |
attorney, lawyer | person who has been trained and licensed to represesnt others in legal matters |
bail | sum of $ posted by defendant to guarantee his appearance in court |
bail bondsman | a person who will post bail to obtain the release of a defendant from jail for a 10% fee |
bailiff | a court official whose duties are to keep order in the courtroom and assist the jury |
bench trial | trial without a jury in which the judge decides the case |
beyond a reasonable doubt | entirely convinced, no rational doubt as to the defendant's guilt |
bind over | judge's decision to hold a criminal defendant for trial |
booking | being processed into jail |
brief | an attorney's written statement of a client's case filed in court. A summary of the facts in the case. |
burden of proof | prosecution must prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt |
calendar | court's list of cases to be heard by a judge |
case law | law established on precedent, rather than by legislation |
certification | the process of transferring a juvenile's case from the Juvenile Court to an adult court for trial |
change of venue | the removal of a trial begun in one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction |
charge | an accusation by the state against an individual |
circumstantial evidence | evidence of an indirect nature. testimony not based on actual knowledge or observation |
citation | an official notice to appear in court and answer to charge(s) |
Civil case | a lawsuit brought by one citizen against another |
common law | a body of unwritten judicial opinion based upon custom, tradition, and precedent |
concurrent jurisdiction | 2 or more courts who share jurisdiction, each authorized to hear the case |
concurrent sentence | sentence under which two or more prison or jail sentences are served at the same time |
conditional release | a non-security release from custody which enforce regulations on the activities and associations of the defendant |
consecutive sentence | when 2 or more prison or jail sentences are served back to back |
contempt of court | any act involving disrepect to the court or failure to obey its rules or orders |
continuance | order of the court postponing the court's proceedings |
contract | a legally enforceable agreement between 2 parties who each promise to do certain things |
conviction | in a criminal case, a finding that the defendant is guilty |
corroborating evidence | confirmation or support of the story of a witness or victim |
county/district attorney; AKA prosecutor | a lawyer employed by the government to prosecute criminal cases |
court | a place where legal proceedings occur |
court of record | a court whose proceeding are permanently recorded |
criminal case | a case brought by the government against a person accused of committing a crime |
cross examination | the questioning of a witness by the lawyer for the opposing side |
culpability | the act, conduct, or negligence of a person |