Introduction to Court Systems & Procedures Vocabulary

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Across
  1. 4. person against whom a crime has been committed
  2. 9. law has been broken requiring the state to bring charges against the offender; there must not be any reasonable doubt of guilt
  3. 10. to be released from criminal charges
  4. 12. when one party fails to perform under the requirements of a valid agreement with another party (contracts can be written or verbal)
  5. 13. party denying or defending against allegations made by the plaintiff
  6. 14. records the official record of the trial; these word-for-word transcripts are used in appeals
  7. 15. 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
  8. 17. agreement between the plaintiff and the defendant to end the dispute
  9. 19. neutral panels established by government agencies to settle a variety of disputes among different parties of people and businesses
  10. 20. 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
Down
  1. 1. jury’s final decision based on all of the facts and evidence presented in the trial
  2. 2. 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
  3. 3. attorney who is hired or appointed by the state or federal government to represent the plaintiff or the state
  4. 5. includes the right of each party to obtain and present witnesses and evidence
  5. 6. represents the defendant and ensures the defendant is protected according to the law
  6. 7. responsible for deciding what is true in a case and in a criminal case, deciding whether or not the defendant has committed a crime
  7. 8. party initiating a lawsuit against an organization or individual
  8. 11. transfer of a case from a lower to a higher level for a new hearin
  9. 16. process of choosing potential jurors by disqualifying biased people who cannot be neutral or fair
  10. 18. 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