Key Terms You Need to Know in Criminal Cases and Criminal Prosecution

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Key Terms You Need to Know in Criminal Cases and Criminal Prosecution

A criminal case is where a prosecutor charges a person with a crime. The criminal prosecution process often involves an arrest, information about the crime, and a hearing or indictment. However, it is great to have a proper understanding of the basic terms involved in criminal cases and criminal prosecution proceedings.

Here is a list of key terms you should be familiar with, regardless of your position in a criminal case.

  1. Subpoena/ Criminal Summon

An order that commands an accused person to appear in court.

  1. Admissible Evidence

This is a piece of evidence that a court may consider for to its reliability and possible help on a criminal case.

  1. Dismissal

It is the cancellation of formal charges of a criminal case against a person.

  1. Eye Witness

When a crime happens in the presence of a person, such an individual is an eyewitness.

  1. Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

The proof helps to seal a guilty or innocent verdict. This type of proof convinces the jury or judge that a person is guilty or innocent of a crime.

  1. Brief

This is a written argument by a counsel that is used to argue a case and contains a summary of the facts of the case.

  1. Accused

This individual is formally charged with a criminal case but has not faced trial.

  1. Admission

It is the confession of a crime by an accused individual.

  1. Accessory

Someone who assists another person in committing a felony, e.g., a person that hides evidence that can be useful in an investigation.

  1. Accomplice

A person assists or aids another person in committing a crime.

  1. Bail

Bail serves two different purposes. It is the amount of money paid to secure the release of a person. Also, it is the amount of money paid to guarantee a person’s appearance in court later.

  1. Jail

It is a place where individuals serving short-term sentences are held.

  1. Incarceration

It is the confinement of an individual to jail.

  1. Judgment

It is the official decision or ruling of a court that determines the parties’ respective claims to a suit. Judgment can also be said to be the court’s legal ruling that determines the guilty’s punishment and the innocent’s acquittance.

  1. Coercion

The use of force or threat to make someone commit an act against their will.

  1. Search Warrant

A judge gave a written order to search a location for a person, thing, or property.