Legal Case and Court Proceedings Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering legal terms, court procedures, crime classifications, and rights of the accused based on the provided lecture transcript.

Court or Courtroom

The name of the place where everyone meets to talk about a legal case.

Felony Class A

A serious class of crime carrying a maximum sentence of $20$ years in prison.

Felony Class B

A serious class of crime carrying a maximum sentence of $10$ years in prison.

Felony Class C

A serious class of crime carrying a maximum sentence of $5$ years in prison.

Defense Attorney

Also referred to as Public Defender or Defense Counsel; the person who represents an accused individual and protects their rights.

District Attorney or Prosecutor (DA)

The attorney paid to prosecute the defendant and prove they are guilty.

The Judge

The individual who sent the defendant to the program, acts as the boss or referee of the courtroom, and is addressed as "Your Honor" or "The Honorable."

Plea Bargain

A deal between a defendant and the District Attorney (DA) where entering a guilty-type plea results in lowered charges, a reduced number of charges, and/or a recommendation for a lesser sentence.

PSRB

An acronym standing for the Psychiatric Security Review Board.

Plea of Guilty

A formal statement where the defendant admits they committed the crime by saying, "I did the crime."

Trial

A legal process where a jury and/or a judge decides if the defendant is guilty or not guilty based on the evidence.

Plea of No Contest

A response where the defendant does not admit guilt but chooses not to fight against the accusation or charge.

Plea of Not Guilty

A formal statement where the defendant denies committing the crime, saying, "I did NOT do it."

Guilty Except for Insanity (GEI)

A mental health defense where the defendant admits to the crime but states their mental illness was a significant factor in the act.

Contempt of Court

Behavior in or out of court that disrupts or delays the process or violates a court order, such as loud interruptions; punishable by fines or jail time.

ORS 161.370 (".370")

A reference to a law allowing a judge to send a defendant to Oregon State Hospital (OSH) or the community for evaluation and treatment if they cannot understand their legal situation or work with an attorney.

Defendant

The person accused of committing a crime; also known as "The accused."

Charges

The names of the crimes the defendant is accused of committing; accusations of breaking the law.

Misdemeanor Class A

A less serious crime class with a maximum sentence of $1$ year in jail.

Misdemeanor Class B

A less serious crime class with a maximum sentence of $6$ months in jail.

Misdemeanor Class C

A less serious crime class with a maximum sentence of $30$ days in jail.

Jury Trial

A trial where $6$ or $12$ people from the community listen to evidence and decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty.

Bench Trial

A trial where the Judge listens to attorneys and witnesses, looks at evidence, and decides the verdict and sentence.

Witness

A person who has information related to a crime, swears to tell the truth, and testifies by answering questions in court.

Evidence

Something presented to the court to make a point regarding the defendant's guilt or innocence.

Sentence

A punishment ordered by the Judge.

Forensic Interview

Also called 'the Evaluation'; an interview with a psychologist or psychiatrist to determine if the defendant can cooperate with an attorney and understand their legal situation.

Conditional Release

Permission for someone found guilty except for insanity to leave Oregon State Hospital (OSH) early under the rules of the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB).

Expert Witness

A person accepted by the Judge as an expert on a specific subject who provides opinions about parts of a case.

Hearing

Any proceeding before a Judge where evidence or arguments are presented to determine legal issues.

Fine

An amount of money the defendant is required to pay to the court.

Probation

A punishment where the offender is supervised in the community instead of being incarcerated, following rules given by the court.

Suspended Sentence

A sentence given by a judge that the defendant does not have to serve if they stay out of trouble for a specified period of time.

The 5th Amendment

A part of the Constitution giving the defendant the right to remain silent and not be forced to testify at their own trial.

Testimony

A sworn statement under oath provided by a witness to give factual evidence to the court.

Appeal

A request for a higher court to review a trial court's decision based on the argument that a legal error occurred.

Acquittal

A finding of 'not guilty' in a trial process.

Confidentiality

Information that cannot be shared with others; specifically, information between the defendant and their attorney.

Concurrent Sentence

Sentences for more than one crime that the defendant serves at the same time.

Consecutive Sentence

Sentences for more than one crime that the defendant must serve one after another.

Conviction

A finding of guilty following a trial or plea bargain.

Verdict

The outcome of a trial; the decision by the jury or Judge whether the defendant is guilty, not guilty, or GEI.

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