Legal Terms

COMMON LEGAL TERMS

Acquittal

A verdict from a judge that a criminal defendant is not guilty or the evidence is inadequate to support a conviction.

Admissible

Evidence is considered admissible if it meets all of the standards required to present it in a court of law.

Affidavit

A written or printed statement made under oath.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

A way to settle a dispute outside of the courtroom. 

Appeal

A post-trial request made by the losing party to have the case reviewed by a higher court.

Bench Trial

A trial where the judge acts as the decision-maker instead of a jury.

Class Action Lawsuit

A lawsuit in which an individual or small group sues an entity on the behalf of a much larger group.

Community Service

A verdict in which the court requires an individual to work without pay for a nonprofit organization.

Conviction

A guilty verdict against a criminal defendant.

Defendant

The individual or business against whom a lawsuit is filed.

Evidence

Facts or items presented in the court of law with the intention to persuade the judge or jury.

Felony

A serious crime, usually punishable by a minimum of one year in prison.

Hearsay

Information presented by a witness who did not see the incident in question, but rather heard about it from someone else.

Judge

An official of the Judicial branch with the authority to decide lawsuits brought before a court.

Jury

A group of people selected to hear the evidence in a trial and make a verdict.

Litigation

Another word for a court case, or lawsuit.

Misdemeanor

A less-serious crime, punishable by a maximum of one-year imprisonment.

Mistrial

An invalid trial leads to the restarting of the same case with a new jury.

Plaintiff

A person or business who files the lawsuit with a court.

Plea Bargain

An agreement made between the plaintiff and defendant where the defendant agrees to plead guilty in order to receive a lesser punishment. 

Settlement

Parties resolve their dispute without a trial. 

Testimony

Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials.

Verdict

The determination of guilt or innocence made by the judge or jury.

Witness

A person called upon during a trial to give testimony before the court.