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Courtroom Vocabulary
Courtroom Vocabulary - The Judicial Branch
Term | Definition |
---|---|
acquit | to declare "not guilty" |
appeal | to ask a higher court to review the verdict of a lower court |
arraignment | to come before a court to answer an indictment |
bail | the property or money given to ensure you will show up to court |
defendant | the person who is accused of a crime |
grand jury | jury who decides if there is enough evidence to have a trial |
hung jury | a jury that cannot agree on a verdict |
indict | to formally charge with a crime |
mistrial | a trial that ends without a verdict |
plaintiff | the person who takes the defendant to court in a civil case |
plea | the defendant's answer to a charge |
plea bargain | an agreement where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser crime |
probable cause | reasonable belief that the accused is guilty |
prosecutor | the government's attorney who tries to prove the defendant is guilty |
testimony | the statement a person gives under oath |