U.S. Gov. Chapter 16 vocab

criminal justice process

everything that happens to a person who commits a crime, from arrest through prosecution and conviction to release from prison

prosecute

to conduct criminal proceedings in court against

search warrant

an order signed by a judge describing a specific place to be searched for specific items

probable cause

a reasonable basis to believe a person or premises is linked to a crime

exclusionary rule

a rule that forbids the introduction of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial

self- incrimination

testifying against oneself

Miranda rights

the right for a defendant being taken into police custody to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination and the right to an attorney; the police must inform a defendant of these rights before questioning or anything learned from the interrogation cannot be used against the defendant at trial

presumption of innocence

the principle that one is considered innocent until proven guilty; the government has the burden of proof in a criminal trial

plea bargain

an agreement whereby a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser crime than the one with which a defendant was originally charged and in return the government agrees not to prosecute the defendant for the more serious crime

counsel

an attorney providing legal advice or representation

acquittal

judicial deliverance from a criminal charge on a verdict or finding of not guilty

indigent

suffering from extreme poverty

status offense

any act that a juvenile can be lawfully detained for, but which is not a crime if committed by an adult

ex post facto clause

the clause in the U.S. Constitution that prevents the government from punishing someone for doing something that was not a crime when the act was committed

three- strikes laws

laws that typically impose an automatic minimum sentence of 25 years or life imprisonment when a person is convicted of a serious offense for the third time

capital punishment

execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense