A
• Acquittal: A formal certification by a court or jury that the defendant is legally not guilty of the charged offense, resulting in an immediate release from any restrictions related to that charge.
• Adjournment: A temporary postponement of a court session, hearing, or trial to a specified future date and time.
• Appeal: A formal request filed by the defense asking a higher (appellate) court to review, modify, or reverse a decision or conviction made by the trial court due to specific legal errors.
• Arraignment: The initial court appearance following an arrest. The judge reads the official criminal charges, the defendant enters a preliminary plea (typically "not guilty"), and the judge determines release conditions or bail amounts.
B
• Bail / Bond: A financial guarantee or cash payment required by the
court to secure a defendant’s temporary release from custody, serving as insurance that they will return for all future mandatory hearings.
• Bench Warrant: An arrest warrant issued directly by a judge when an individual fails to appear for a mandatory scheduled court date or violates a direct court order.
• Booking: The administrative processing of an individual immediately following an arrest. This includes taking photographs (mugshots), fingerprints, inventorying personal property, and recording personal data.
C
• Charge: A formal, written legal accusation filed by a prosecutor or law enforcement agency alleging that an individual has committed a specific criminal offense.
• Concurrent Sentence: A judicial order directing that multiple prison sentences be served at the exact same time. The longest single sentence dictates the total time served (e.g., if sentenced to 3 years and 5 years concurrently, the total time is 5 years).
• Consecutive Sentence: A judicial order directing that multiple prison
sentences be served sequentially (back-to-back). The individual must complete the full time for the first charge before the sentence for the next charge begins.
• Continuance: A formal legal request made by either the defense attorney or the prosecutor to delay a scheduled court proceeding or trial to a later date to allow more time for preparation or evidence gathering.
D
• Defendant: The individual who has been formally accused, charged, or indicted for a crime within the justice system.
• Discovery: The mandatory, structured legal exchange where the prosecution is required to share all evidence, police reports, witness lists, and video footage with the defense attorney before a trial can begin.
• Disposition: The final conclusion, resolution, or settlement of a criminal case (e.g., an acquittal, a dismissal, a negotiated plea agreement, or a sentencing verdict).
• Docket Number: The unique tracking and identification number assigned to a specific case by the court clerk. This number must be included on every legal document and inquiry.
E
• Expungement: A distinct legal process through which an arrest record or criminal conviction is officially erased, sealed, or removed from public viewing databases.
F
• Felony: The most severe category of crime (such as grand theft or aggravated assault), which carries a statutory punishment of more than one year of incarceration in a state or federal penitentiary.
G
• Grand Jury: A panel of citizens convened in secret by a prosecutor to review evidence and determine whether there is "probable cause" to officially charge an individual with a serious crime.
H
• Hearing: A formal legal proceeding conducted before a judge without a jury to resolve specific arguments, motions to suppress evidence, or administrative issues prior to a full trial.
I
• Indictment: A formal, written accusation issued by a Grand Jury charging an individual with a serious crime, indicating that the panel found sufficient evidence to move forward to trial.
M
• Misdemeanor: A category of offense less severe than a felony. It is typically punishable by fines, community service, probation, or local county jail time of less than one year.
P
• Parole: The conditional, supervised release of an inmate from a state or federal prison before the absolute completion of their full sentence, requiring strict compliance with a parole officer in the community.
• Plea Bargain / Agreement: A negotiated settlement between the prosecutor and the defense. The defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge or a reduced sentence in exchange for avoiding the risk, time, and expense of a full trial.
• Probable Cause: The constitutional standard of evidence required for law enforcement to execute an arrest, conduct a search, or obtain a warrant. It requires a reasonable belief based on objective facts that a crime occurred and the suspect committed it.
• Probation: A court-ordered alternative sentence allowing a convicted individual to remain at liberty in the community under the close supervision of an officer, provided they comply with specific court conditions.
• Prosecutor (District Attorney / DA): The government attorney whose legal duty is to present the state's case against the defendant and attempt to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Public Defender: A licensed defense attorney employed by the government and appointed by the court to represent individuals who cannot financially afford to retain private counsel.
S
• Subpoena: A legally binding court order commanding an individual to appear in court as a witness to testify, or to produce specific documents and physical evidence for review.
V
• Verdict: The final formal decision reached by a jury (or a judge in a non-jury bench trial) at the absolute conclusion of a trial, determining whether the defendant is legally "guilty" or "not guilty."