An accusation is informally stating that a person has committed an illegal or immoral act. An accusation is also formally charging a person with a crime either by a prosecuting attorney filing charges against or through a grand jury...
criminal procedure
accusatory instrument
An accusatory instrument, similar to a criminal complaint, is a document which formally accuses a defendant of a criminal offense. Generally, this document must be signed by a party who has knowledge that the alleged criminal conduct took...
accused
"Accused" is a person who has been arrested for or formally charged with a crime. It is a generic name for the defendant in a criminal case.
This case from Tennessee, explains that a person becomes "accused" for purposes of...
acknowledge
1) To accept, recognize, confirm, or admit the existence or truth of something.
2) To validate an identity or claim.
3) To authenticate an instrument or writing by declaration or statement under oath by...
acknowledgment
Acknowledgement refers to a formal declaration before an official that one has executed a particular legal document. Some common usages of the term “acknowledgement” in a legal sense include:
Cases such as this one from Nebraska,...acquit
Acquit means to set free, release or discharge as from an obligation, burden, or accusation. It is what a jury or a judge sitting without a jury does at the end of a criminal trial, if the jury or the judge finds the accused defendant not...
acquittal
An acquittal is a resolution of some or all of the factual elements of the offense charged. The trier of fact, whether the jury or the court, must render a verdict of finding not guilty of the charged offense. A not guilty finding is an...
act
An act in the legal sense refers to either a voluntary bodily movement or a term for a body of law/proposed law.
In the criminal law context, an act is part of the concept of actus reus and, therefore, is a prerequisite to...
action
An action refers to a judicial proceeding. If a party brings a civil or criminal case against you, an action has been brought against you. The party bringing the action is the plaintiff /prosecution respectively.
[Last updated in...
actionable
A claim is actionable if there exist sufficient circumstances to meet the requirements of a cause of action. For example, a claim for the tort of battery is actionable if a person intentionally and without your consent made contact with you...