| A | B |
|---|
| acquit | find not guilty |
| accuse | to charge with a crime |
| appeal | take case to a higher court for review |
| arraignment | bring accused before a judge so can enter a plea of guilty or not guilty |
| attorney | lawyer, counsel |
| admissible evidence | facts, testimony, or objects used to prove a case |
| adversary | opponent |
| affidavit | written statement which the maker swears is tre |
| alias | an assumed name |
| alibi | defendant claims to have been somewhere else when the crime was committed |
| allege | to assert a fact that one claims is true |
| assault | attempt or threat to strike someone |
| bail | money the udge makes the accused leave the court to be released before the trial |
| bailiff | an officer of the court in charge of the accused person during the proceedings, and of keeping order in the court |
| book | enter an arrested person's name and charge into police records |
| bench | the place where the judge sits |
| burden of proof | level of proof needed to win a case |
| burglary | breaking and entering into a swelling to commit a crime |
| battery | anlawful touching which harms or hurts another person |
| civil case | an action in which one person sues another for damages |
| clerk | court officer who keeps court records |
| capital offense | a crime punishable by death |
| capital punishment | the death penalty |
| capital offense | a crime, punishable by death |
| circumstantial evidence | indirect evidence |
| citation | a specific law or case (or) a summons to court for a violation of a law |
| compensation | money paid for services, damages caused, or property |
| confess | to admit guilt |
| conspiracy | a criminal plan by two or more people |
| contempt of court | diobeying a judge or acting disrespectful |
| contract | legally binding agreement |
| convict | to find guilty of a crime |
| copyright | exclusive rights from the government to artists to control their work |
| counsel | an advisor or lawyer |
| defamation of character | injury to a person's reputation by false statements |
| defendent | one who must defend against the complaint |
| defraud | to obtain by trickery or fraud |
| due process | procedures to protect individual rights |
| hearing | proceeding to determine if more facts are needed for a trial |
| homicide | killing of one person by another |
| hung jury | a jury that is unable to reach a unanimous decision |
| felony | a serious criminal act |
| grand jury | a jury which hears the complaints and accusations of a crime and decides if there are enough facts to proceed to trial |
| hearsay | evidence that a witness heard from someone else |
| intent | the state of mind which motivates the crime |
| indictment | formal charge of a crime made by the grand jury |
| juror | member of a jury |
| juvenile delinquent | a minor who has committd a criminal act |
| larceny | theft |
| libel | a false or misleading publication that damages someone's reputation |
| litigation | lawsuits |
| liable | being legally responsible |
| minor | a person under legal adult age (18 or 21 year old) |
| Miranda Warning | warnings which must be given when a suspect is arrested, advising them of their constitutional rights |
| misdemeanor | a less serious crime than a felony; imprisonment cannot be for more than a year |
| negligence | failure of a person to use reasonable care to avoid injury to others |
| overrule | to rule that a decision is invallid |
| patent | exclusive right granted by the government for inventors to protect their invention for a number of years |
| plagiarism | claiming the work of someone else as your own |
| premeditation | forethought or planning |
| probation | supervised release instead of being sent to jail |
| precedent | previous court decisionsused to guide a current case |
| plea bargaining | agreement between the prosecutor and defense attorney that the defendant pleas guilty in exchnge for being charged with a lesser crime |
| plaintiff | person or party who files the complaint to bring legal action against another |
| petition | a formal request of the court |
| prosecuting attorney | lawyer who represents the people of the state in a criminal trial |
| reckless | grossly negligent;consciouis disregard of serious risk |
| relevant | appropriate evidence or testimony to prove a point in court |
| restitution | compensation for monetary loss |
| reverse | to overturn or overrule a decision |
| robbery | larceny from a person by force or threat |
| search warrant | a court order required before police can search a home or person |
| settlement | an agreement between parties to resolve a lawsuit before trial |
| slander | a false statement which harms a person's reputation |
| summons, subpoena | a court order requiring a person to appear in court |
| suspect | a person suspected of committing a crime |
| trademark | a word, symbol, or brand name used to identify a product |
| sentence | the punishment or penalty given to the person who has been found guilty |
| testimony | evidence given by a witness under oath |
| tort | a wrong or injury done to a person for which he/she can bring a civil suit |
| transcript | the record of a court proceeding |
| verdict | the decision made by the jury in a trial |
| warrant of arrest | a written order to arrest a certain person, issued by the court |
| witness | a person who has knowledge of facts having to do with the case |
