Absentia

One who aids a criminal, before or after the crime occurs, having knowledge of the commission of the crime.

To find a person not guilty of a criminal charge. Acquittal: A finding of not guilty by a judge or jury.

A process or act of a judge convicting a defendant of a crime. It amounts to a final judgment. A judgment rendered by the court after a finding of guilt.

A process or act of a judge withholding final judgment of guilt or conviction on a case, but always after a finding of guilt.

A written statement sworn to before a notary, officer of the court, or a law enforcement officer. The statement usually has to do with information the person giving the affidavit has about a particular criminal case.

A form signed by the defendant under oath attesting to his or her inability to pay.

A statement made by another which, in the context of criminal law, is usually in the form of an accusation that someone has committed a crime. Such allegations may or may not be proven as true.

A document filed by the State Attorney’s office responding to a “Notice of Discovery” by a defense attorney, setting forth witnesses in the case, information about the case, and allowing duplication of case information and reports.

The legal procedure by which a decision by a judge is brought for review to a higher court with the intention of having the decision by the lower court changed.