Court Systems Terminology

8. party denying or defending against allegations made by the plaintiff
10. dispute between two or more parties consisting of the first party, or plaintiff, accusing the second party, or defendant, of causing injury or damage to the plaintiff; reasonable doubt is not required
11. attorney who is hired or appointed by the state or federal government to represent the plaintiff or the state
13. responsible for deciding what is true in a case and in a criminal case, deciding whether or not the defendant has committed a crime
16. first official court appearance for the defendant; used to inform defendant of official criminal charges, take defendants plea, negotiate bail if necessary and set up dates for further proceedings
17. party initiating a lawsuit against an organization or individual

1. law has been broken requiring the state to bring charges against the offender; there must not be any reasonable doubt of guilt
2. having control or authority over someone or something
3. to be released from criminal charges
4. represents the defendant and ensures the defendant is protected according to the law
5. transfer of a case from a lower to a higher level for a new hearing
6. records the official record of the trial; these word-for-word transcripts are used in appeals
7. plea used when defendant agrees with the facts of the crime but does not believe they are guilty, most commonly used to prevent guilty pleas from being used in civil court cases
9. jury’s final decision based on all of the facts and evidence presented in the trial
12. officer in charge of the court proceeding; ensures all evidence used in the trial is legal, instructs the jury and typically provides the sentence when a defendant is convicted
14. court officer responsible for giving out subpoenas, escorting defendants from jail to the courtroom, representing the jury to the judge and protecting safety of all in the courtroom
15. person against whom a crime has been committed