| A | B |
|---|
| Alibi | A Latin word meaning “elsewhere;” an excuse or plea that a person was somewhere else at the time a crime was committed. |
| DNA evidence | Biological evidence, derived from testing samples of human tissues and fluids, that genetically links an offender to a crime. |
| Infancy | The legal defense of a person considered not yet legally responsible for his or her actions; the time before which a person becomes entitled to the legal rights and responsibilities normally held by citizens. |
| Intoxication- | A state of drunkenness or similar condition created by the use of drugs or alcohol. |
| Insanity defense | Defense raised by a criminal defendant stating that because of mental disease or defect, the defendant should not be held responsible for the crime committed. |
| Entrapment | An act by law enforcement officials to persuade a person to commit a crime that the person would not otherwise have committed. If proven, entrapment is a valid defense to a criminal charge. |
| Duress | Unlawful pressure on a person to do something that he or she would not otherwise do. Duress may be a defense to a criminal charge. |
| Necessity | A defense to a criminal charge that shows a just or lawful reason for the defendant’s conduct. |
| Arrest | To take a person suspected of a crime into custody. |
| Arrest warrant | A court ordered document authorizing the police to arrest an individual on a specific charge. |
