Across
- 2. A felony is a serious criminal offense, usually punishable by a prison term or, in some cases, by death. Felonies are considered more severe than misdemeanors. Murder, extortion and kidnapping are some examples of felonies. Felonies are classified as 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree or capital felonies.
- 3. Appearance, An appearance is held in the jail within 24 hours of your arrest.
- 5. Having a witness is to introduce evidence intended to contradict testimony or to question his creditability.
- 6. When a person is confined to a jail or prison.
- 7. Jury, A body of persons with the authority to investigate and accuse, but not to try cases. The grand jury will listen to and review evidence to see if it there are sufficient grounds to bring an individual to trial.
- 8. Evidence, Evidence which is relevant to the issues in a case.
- 14. Often run by sheriff and/or local governments are designed to hold individuals awaiting trial or serving short sentences (364 days or less).
- 15. Questioning, usually by the police of a suspect in custody. The suspect is not obligated to answer the questions, and the fact that he/she has remained silent generally cannot be used by the prosecution to help prove guilt. If the suspect has asked for a lawyer, the police must cease questioning. If they do not, they cannot use the answers against the suspect at trial.
- 17. This is a legal proceeding (not a trial) held before a judge or administrative body. Evidence and arguments are presented in an effort to resolve a disputed factual or legal issue.
- 19. , A crime, less serious than a felony, and punishable by jail time. Misdemeanors are classified as 1st degree and 2nd degree misdemeanors and are handled in County Court. Petty theft, first-time drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident are some examples of misdemeanor crimes.
- 21. A trial which is invalid because of some fundamental errors in procedure, wrongdoing or a hung jury. A judge can set the case for a new trial or retrial at a future date.
Down
- 1. A formal written accusation made by a grand jury and filed in court, alleging that a specific person has committed a specific crime.
- 4. That which, under the rules of evidence, cannot be admitted or received as evidence.
- 8. Warning, By law (Miranda v. Arizona ruling by the United States Supreme Court), anyone being questioned by authorities must first receive a ‘Miranda Warning’. This requirement exists to prevent the police / authorities from taking advantage of a person who does not know or fully understand their rights and thus speaks to the police and answers their questions without an attorney present. The Miranda Warning consists of the authorities explaining certain rights to a person before questioning them. These include: 1) You have the right to remain silent. 2) If you choose to speak, anything you say can be used against you in court. 3) If you decide to answer any questions, you may stop at any time and all questioning must cease. 4) You have a right to consult with your attorney before answering any questions. You have the right to have your attorney present if you decide to answer any questions, and if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you or appointed for you by the court without cost to you before any further questions may be asked.
- 9. Grant by the court, which assures someone will not face prosecution in return for providing criminal evidence.
- 10. Recommendation for a sentence less than the maximum allowed.
- 11. / Sentence, The official document of a judge’s disposition (decision) of a case and sentence of a defendant.
- 12. Nullification, The acquitting of a defendant by a jury in disregard of the judge’s instruction and contrary to the jury’s findings of fact. Often occurs because the jury is sympathetic towards the defendant or law which the defendant is charged.
- 13. Jury, A jury whose members cannot unanimously agree whether the accused is guilty or innocent.
- 16. Studies, This term refers to methods used to examine firearms, documents, polygraph results, DNA, medical information, accounting and other information, and the use of handwriting experts and other known expert witnesses available to testify to their findings in court.
- 17. Arrest, (home confinement, home detention, electronic monitoring) is when a person is confined by authorities to his or her residence. House arrest is a lenient alternative to prison time or juvenile-detention time.
- 18. The killing of one human being by another human being.
- 20. An application made to a court or judge which requests a ruling or order in favor of the applicant.