Touching Spirit Bear Vocabulary: Chapters 1 - 6

probation officer

person monitoring convicted criminals who are out of custody

skiff

a shallow, flat-bottomed open boat with sharp bow and square stern.

detainees

A person held in custody

cowering

to crouch, as in fear or shame

prosecutor

a government official who conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state

sentencing

A hearing to determine consequences for a crime

chafed

To rub and irritate

plead

To claim guilt or innocence in a court

juvenile delinquent

a child or teenager who commits a serious crime or repeatedly breaks the law

stifling

suffocating

conscious

awake, alert, aware of one's surroundings

deadfall

tangled, fallen trees and branches

billowy

Rolling wave or mass

shrouded

covered or hidden from view

unflinching

firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back

arraignment hearing

a hearing where charges are read and the defendant is asked to enter a plea

moseyed

Moving in a slow or leisurely way

desposition

testimony taken down in writing

fleeting

lasting for a very short time

brandished

waved in a threatening way