legal

Arraignment

a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty

Arraignment

a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty

Ballistics

the science of projectiles and firearms

booking

The formal process of making a police record of an arrest

Civil Law

the system of law concerned with private relations between members of a community rather than criminal, military, or religious affairs.

Common Law

(civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions

criminal law

a system of law concerned with the punishment of those who commit crimes.

Criminalistics

the scientific examination of physical evidence for legal purposes

Document analysis

the examination of questioned documents with known material for a variety of analyses, such as authenticity, alterations, erasures, and obliterations

Entomology

study of insects

Felony

a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.

Firearms

A portable weapon that fires ammunition such as a pistol or rifle

Grand jury

a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of an accusation before trial.

Hearsay

rumor, gossip

Indict

to charge with a crime; accuse

Infraction

Minor violation of a rule or law

Miranda rights

A list of rights that police in the United States must read to suspects in custody before questioning them, pursuant to the Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona.

Misdemeanor

(n.) a crime or offense that is less serious than a felony; any minor misbehavior or misconduct

Odontology

in forensics, examination of bite marks and dental identification of corpses.

Palynology

the study of pollen and spores

Pathology

the scientific study of disease

physical science

the study of matter and energy

Plea-bargaining

(criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge

polygraphy

the use of the "lie detector". Polygraph \= lie detector

preliminary hearing

An initial hearing in which a judge decides if there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the crime with which he or she is charged

Probable cause

reasonable grounds (for making a search, pressing a charge, etc.).

Probative

tending to prove something

Statutory law

Law passed by the U.S. Congress or state legislatures

Trace evidence

refers to physical evidence that is found in small but measurable amounts, such as strands of hair, fibers, or skin cells.