Defendant : a person who has been formally charged with committing a crime; the person accused of a crime. Defense Attorney: the lawyer who represents the defendant in legal proceedings.
What is it called when a defendant is formally charged in court with a crime?
Arraignment – A hearing in which the defendant is formally charged and can plead either guilty, not guilty or no contest. ... Defendant – The person charged with a criminal offense. This is the person alleged to have committed a particular crime. Dismissal – The charge or charges against the defendant are dismissed.
What is it called when a person is formally accused of a crime?
Indictment – A formal, written accusation by the grand jury that there is enough evidence to believe the defendant has committed a crime. An indictment is sometimes referred to as a true bill.
What is a formal accusation?
Law dictionary. accusation — /ikyszeyshan/ A formal charge against a person , to the effect that he is guilty of a punishable offense, laid before a court or magistrate having jurisdiction to inquire into the alleged crime.
Who defends the victim in court?
Defense attorney or public defender : The lawyer who defends the accused person. A public defender is appointed if the accused is unable to pay for an attorney.
What's another word for being accused?
In this page you can discover 69 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for accused, like: cleared , charged with, alleged to be guilty, blamed, calumniated, challenged, reproved, given the blame, imputed, indicted and pointed.
What happens after a case is bound over?
Instead, a proceeding very similar to a trial takes place in front of a District Court judge. ... This is referred to as being “bound over” to Circuit Court. Once this is done, the case essentially starts over at the Circuit Court level and stays there through sentencing .
What is the victim called in court?
When the use of the term “victim” is at issue, courts tend to distinguish cases in which it is such as “alleged victim” or “ complainant ” to identify those who meet the relevant jurisdiction's constitutional and/or statutory definition of victim.
What happens if you appeal a case?
If your appeal against the conviction is successful, the court will either order a new trial with a different judge and jury or find you not guilty . If your appeal against the harsh sentence is successful, the court may reduce the sentence or impose a different sentence.
What is the difference between defendant and accused?
An accused is a person charged with an indictable offence heard in a higher court; while a defendant is a person charged with a summary offence , heard before a magistrate in the Local Court.
Who initiates the plea bargain?
A plea bargain is an agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor , in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty or “no contest” (nolo contendere) in exchange for an agreement by the prosecutor to drop one or more charges, reduce a charge to a less serious offense, or recommend to the judge a specific sentence ...
What is a accusation charge?
A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority (usually a public prosecutor or the police) asserting that somebody has committed a crime .
Does the victim need a lawyer?
Victims of crime do not need to have their own lawyer for court as they are witnesses for the prosecution . The prosecution represents the community. ... They will prosecute summary matters in the local court, except if the charge relates to the sexual assault upon a child or the prosecution of a police officer.
What is the difference between a lawyer and a prosecutor?
Prosecutors attempt to convict a person who they believe has committed a crime while a criminal defense lawyer will fight for the rights of the accused and attempt to convince a jury that his or her client was not guilty.
What is a judge's final decision called?
judgment – The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit. jurisdiction – (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case.
What is accused called in English?
Accused is an adjective that means charged with a crime or other offense . Accused is also used as a noun to refer to a person or people who have been charged with a crime, often as the accused. To accuse someone of something means to say that they are guilty of it.
