| A | B |
|---|
| a person or party filing a lawsuit | plantiff |
| an individual or group being sued or charged with a crime | defendant |
| a formal notice that a lawsuit is being brought | complaint |
| a notice directing someone to appear in court to answer a complaint or a charge | summons |
| an act that breaks a law and causes harm to people or society in general | crime |
| a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty | arraignment |
| the statement a witness makes under oath | testimony |
| to question a witness at a trial or a hearing to check or discredit the testimony | cross-examination |
| a vote of not guilty | acquittal |
| a jury that cannot agree on a verdict | hung jury |
| a person not yet legally an adult | juvenile |
| a child or teenager who commits a serious crime or repeatedly breaks the law | juvenile delinquent |
| to correct a person's behavior | rehabilitate |
| A crime for which the penalty is imprisonment for more than one year, a fine, or a combination of both | felony |
| A crime for which the penalty is a jail sentence of not more than one year, a fine, or a combination of both | misdemeanor |
| cases in which a court is asked to settle a dispute | lawsuit |
| agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser charge or a lighter sentence | plea bargaining |
| a formal charge against a person accused of a crime | indictment |
| the process of gathering evidence before a trial | discovery |
| a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person | writ of habeas corpus |
| wrongful acts for which an inured party has the right to sue | tort |
| a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court | bill of attainder |
| a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed | ex post facto |
| procedures established by law and guaranteed by the Constitution | due process |
| the person who starts the legal proceedings against another party for a violation of the law | prosecutor |
| a court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a suspect's home or business and take specific items as evidence | search warrant |
| people who are accused of a crime and judged not guilty may not be put on trial again for the same crime | double jeopardy |
| a group of citizens that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to accuse someone of a crime | grand jury |
