everything that happens to a person who commits a crime, from arrest through prosecution and conviction to release from prison
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Evidence
an outward sign; something that furnishes proof
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Prosecute
to conduct criminal proceedings in court against
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Search warrant
an order signed by a judge describing a specific place to be searched for specific items
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Probable cause
a reasonable basis to believe a person or premises are linked to a crime
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Contraband
anything prohibited by law from being imported, exported, or possessed
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Arrest
to take or keep in custody by authority of law
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Exclusionary rule
a rule that forbids the introduction of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial
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Self-incrimination
testifying against oneself
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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
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Presumption of innocents
the principle that one is considered innocent until proven guilty; the government has the burden of proof in a criminal trial
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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
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Counsel
an attorney providing legal advice or representation
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Acquittal
judicial deliverance from a criminal charge on a verdict or finding of not guilty
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Indigent
suffering from extreme poverty
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Cross-examination
the examination of a witness who has already testified in order to check or discredit the witness's testimony, knowledge, or credibility
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Status offense
any act that a juvenile can be lawfully detained for, but which is not a crime if committed by an adult
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Equip
to make ready
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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
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Three-strikes law
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
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Capital punishment
execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense
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Double jeopardy
the subjecting of a person to a second trial or punishment for the same offense for which the person has already been tried or punished
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Treason
the offense of acting to overthrow one’s government or to harm or kill its leader
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Espionage
the use of spies by a government to discover the military and political secrets of other nations
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