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Chapter 16
Term | Definition |
---|---|
complaint | a formal notice that a lawsuit is being brought |
summons | a notice directing someone to appear in court to answer a complaint or a charge |
discovery | process by which attorneys have opportunity to check facts and gather evidence |
settlement | in a legal case, the amount of money the defendant agrees to pay the plaintiff |
prosecutuion | party who starts the legal proceedings against another party for a violation of the law |
crime | an act that breaks a law and causes harm to people or society in general |
penal code | a state's written criminal laws |
parole | to grant a prisoner an early release from prison, with certain restrictions |
mandatory sentencing | punishment that judges must impose according to what the law directs |
arraignment | a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty |
testimony | the statement a witness makes under oath |
cross-examine | to question a witness at a trail or a hearing to check or discredit the testimony |
acquittal | the vote of not guilty |
hung jury | a jury that cannot agree on a verdict |
juvenile | a person not yet legally an adult |
juvenile delinquent | a child or teenager who commits a serious crime or repeatedly breaks the law |
rehabiltate | to correct a person's behavior |