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Ch.4 Lessons in law
Criminal Law and Procedural
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Probable Cause | A reasonable ground for belief |
Defense | legal position taken by an accused to defeat the charges against him or her. |
Procedural defenses | Based on problems with the way evidence is obtained or the way an accused person is arrested. |
Substantive defenses | They disprove justify or excuse the alleged crime. |
Self Defense | the use of force that appears to be reasonably necessary to the victim to prevent serious harm. |
Immunity | freedom from prosecution even when one has committed the crime charged. |
Contempt of court | action that hinders the administration of justice. |
Punishment | Any penalty provided by law and imposed by a court. |
Plea bargain | pleading guilty to a less serious crime in exchange for have a more serious crime dropped. |
Indictment | a written accusation declaring that there is sufficient evidence to try the identified individual for a specified crime. |
Arraignment | Proceeding shortly after a person's arrest. |
Preliminary hearing | hearing when evidence against the defendant is presented. |
Bail | Sum of money or property deposited or pledged to guarantee that the arrested person will appear for a preliminary hearing or trial. |
Subpoena | command to an individual to appear in court. |
voir dire | preliminary exam of potential jurors. |
Verdict | the decision of a judge or jury. |
Crime | an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law |
Vicarious Criminal Liability | in some situations , the officer will be held criminally liable under the doctrine. |
Felony | a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor |
Misdemeanor | a minor wrongdoing |
White-Collar Crimes | Refers to financially motivated nonviolent crime committed by business & government professionals. |