Criminal Law

A person who helps, encourages, or supports someone else in committing a crime.

A person who helps commit a crime or helps a criminal escape, either before or after the crime.

Helping a criminal escape or hide after they've committed a crime.

Helping someone plan or prepare to commit a crime before it happens.

Someone who knowingly helps another person commit a crime.

Legal responsibility for a crime based on helping or encouraging someone else to commit it.

A court decision that a defendant is not guilty of the charges.

The guilty act or physical conduct that constitutes the crime itself.

To hear and decide a case in court, determining the rights and responsibilities of the parties.

A court's official decision or judgment in a legal case.

A court proceeding where a judge hears evidence and makes a formal decision about a legal matter.

A serious attack that causes or risks severe injury, often with a weapon.

A more serious form of battery involving weapons, severe injury, or vulnerable victims.

A person who helps or encourages someone else to commit a crime.

The act of helping or encouraging someone to commit a crime.

Similar to or comparable to something else in nature or character.

Evidence that a defendant was somewhere else when the crime occurred.

A claim that the defendant was somewhere else when the crime occurred.

A second self or alternative identity, often used to pierce corporate liability shields.

A revised version of a criminal or civil complaint filed to correct or add charges.

A request to a higher court to review and overturn a lower court's decision.

An appeal that a defendant can file automatically without needing special permission from the court.

Money or security posted to allow a convicted defendant to remain free while appealing their conviction.

A higher court's examination of a lower court's decision to check for legal errors.

Taking property from someone by force or threat while carrying a weapon.

A defendant's first court appearance to hear charges and enter a plea.

A defendant's first court appearance after being formally charged by a grand jury.

The act of taking someone into police custody based on probable cause.

A court order authorizing police to arrest a specific person suspected of a crime.

An intentional act that causes someone to fear imminent physical harm.

Attempting or threatening to cause serious bodily harm using an object capable of causing death or severe injury.

Trying to commit a crime but failing to complete it.

Taking substantial steps toward killing someone with the intent to cause death.

Writing a check when you lack sufficient funds or a valid account to cover it.

Money or property pledged to secure a defendant's release before trial.

A psychological condition resulting from repeated domestic abuse that may affect a victim's behavior and legal defenses.

Intentional physical contact with another person without consent.

A trial where a judge, not a jury, decides guilt or innocence.

A court order to arrest someone for failing to appear in court or violating court orders.

The highest standard of proof required to convict a defendant in a criminal trial.

Being married to more than one person at the same time.

Demanding money or favors by threatening to reveal damaging information or cause harm.

State laws regulating the sale of securities to protect investors from fraud.

Money paid to secure release from jail before trial.

Loss of bail money when a defendant fails to appear in court as required.

Illegally manufacturing, distributing, or selling goods, especially alcohol, without proper licensing.

Displaying a weapon in a threatening manner to intimidate or frighten someone.

In burglary, the act of entering a building by force, breaking through a barrier, or using deception.

Unlawfully entering a building or dwelling with intent to commit a crime.

Offering money or favors to someone in power to influence their official actions.

Offering money or benefits to a witness to influence their testimony or prevent them from testifying.

Unlawfully entering a building with intent to commit a crime inside.

The most serious form of burglary, typically involving weapons, violence, or entry into a dwelling at night.

An older legal term for sexual intercourse, often used in statutes defining sexual assault or rape.

A law stating that a person's home is their castle and they can use force to defend it without duty to retreat.

A formal legal order commanding someone to stop a specific activity immediately.

A request to remove a juror based on bias or inability to be impartial.

A legal objection that the jury pool itself is biased or improperly selected, rather than objecting to individual jurors.

A private meeting between the judge and lawyers, held in the judge's office rather than open court.

A formal accusation that a person committed a specific crime.

The judge's instructions to jurors about the law they must apply to the facts of the case.

An official paper that formally accuses someone of committing a crime.

Personal property that is movable, as opposed to real estate or land.

Evidence that suggests guilt indirectly rather than proving it directly.

Evidence that implies a fact indirectly rather than proving it directly through eyewitness testimony.

Government seizure of property suspected of involvement in criminal activity, without requiring a criminal conviction.

Disobedience of a court order intended to coerce compliance rather than punish the offender.

Fundamental freedoms and protections guaranteed to all people, including equal treatment and freedom from discrimination.

Forcing someone to do something against their will through threats or pressure.

A legal challenge to a conviction or judgment made in a separate proceeding, rather than through direct appeal.

A legal rule preventing someone from relitigating a fact already decided in a prior case.

A secret agreement between two or more people to defraud or deceive others or to accomplish an unlawful purpose.

The appearance or claim of legal authority, often used when someone abuses power while pretending to act lawfully.

The official start of a lawsuit or criminal case in court.

A court proceeding to determine whether a defendant can understand trial and assist in their own defense.

A defendant's mental and legal ability to understand trial proceedings and assist in their own defense.

A formal written accusation that starts a criminal case.

A formal legal document filed to start a divorce case in family court.

A formal request to a court to order someone to stop or start a specific action.

The legal right to carry a hidden firearm in public, typically requiring a permit.

The act of hiding or keeping secret something that should be disclosed, especially in legal matters.

A voluntary admission by someone that they committed a crime.

The act of keeping someone in custody or restricting their freedom of movement.

An agreement between two or more people to commit a crime, plus an overt act in furtherance of that agreement.

A court-approved delay or postponement of a scheduled hearing, trial, or other legal proceeding.

A formal declaration that someone is guilty of a crime after trial or plea.

A legal business entity that can be held criminally responsible for certain acts.

A court that handles cases involving alleged violations of criminal law and determines guilt or innocence.

The mental state or purpose required to commit a crime.

Reckless disregard for human life or safety that causes serious harm.

Punishment that is excessively harsh, torturous, or shocks the conscience under the Eighth Amendment.

Punishment that is excessively harsh or shocks the conscience under the Eighth Amendment.

The defendant's guilty mind or criminal intent required to establish liability for a crime.

Physical control or confinement of a person by law enforcement or the state.

A person's likelihood of committing future crimes or harming others, used in bail and sentencing decisions.

Physical force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.

The person accused of a crime in a criminal case or sued in a civil case.

A lawyer who represents a person accused of a crime in court.

Extreme recklessness showing a wanton disregard for human life, often used in murder charges.

A minor criminal offense involving behavior that disturbs public peace or safety.

Criminal conduct involving abuse between intimate partners, family members, or household members.

Being prosecuted or punished twice for the same crime, which the Fifth Amendment forbids.

The constitutional right to fair legal procedures and treatment by the government.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a serious criminal offense.

The specific facts and mental states that the prosecution must prove to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

A longer or harsher sentence imposed when certain aggravating factors or prior convictions are present.

When government agents induce someone to commit a crime they wouldn't otherwise commit.

A breakdown in relationship between family members, often relevant in inheritance or custody disputes.

Information, documents, or physical items presented in court to prove or disprove facts.

Evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in court against a defendant.

A person with specialized knowledge who testifies in court about technical or scientific matters beyond ordinary understanding.

A legal process that erases or seals a criminal conviction from your record.

Obtaining money, property, or services from someone through coercion, typically using threats or intimidation.

An unlawful arrest made without proper legal authority, probable cause, or a valid warrant.

A serious crime punishable by more than one year in prison or death.

Physical or scientific evidence collected and analyzed to establish facts in a criminal investigation or trial.

The crime of falsely making, altering, or imitating a document or signature with intent to defraud.

A person who flees or hides to avoid arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment for a crime.

A group of citizens who review evidence to decide if there's probable cause to charge someone with a crime.

A defendant's admission in court that they committed the crime(s) charged, typically resulting in conviction without trial.

A person with multiple prior criminal convictions who faces enhanced penalties for new crimes under habitual offender laws.

A crime motivated by prejudice against a person's race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristic.

The act of one person causing the death of another human being.

The process of proving or confirming someone's identity, especially in criminal cases.

Attacking a witness's credibility or reliability by presenting contradictory evidence.

A statement made by someone that suggests they committed a crime or participated in criminal activity.

A formal written accusation charging someone with a crime, issued by a grand jury.

The legal principle that a defendant is presumed innocent unless the prosecution proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

A legal argument that the defendant was mentally ill and therefore not responsible for their criminal conduct.

The defendant's conscious purpose or knowledge that their actions would cause a particular result.

Causing someone's death without intent to kill, through reckless or negligent conduct.

The court's final decision in a criminal case, determining guilt or innocence and imposing sentence.

A group of citizens sworn to hear evidence and decide whether a defendant is guilty or liable.

Unlawfully taking and carrying away a person against their will, often with intent to hold them for ransom or harm.

The unlawful taking and carrying away of someone else's personal property with intent to keep it permanently.

A less serious crime that is necessarily part of proving a more serious charge.

The intentional desire to cause harm or the reckless disregard for the consequences of one's actions.

State and federal regulations governing the possession, sale, and use of cannabis.

The guilty mind or criminal intent required to establish most crimes.

Rights that police must inform a suspect of before custodial interrogation, including the right to remain silent and right to counsel.

A less serious crime punishable by up to one year in jail and/or fines.

A trial that is declared invalid and must be restarted.

The reason or desire that prompts someone to commit a crime.

The legal right to carry a firearm openly and visibly in public.

Deliberately lying under oath in a legal proceeding.

A negotiated agreement where a defendant pleads guilty in exchange for reduced charges or sentencing.

Representing yourself in court without a lawyer.

Reasonable grounds to believe a person committed a crime or evidence exists.

The government's legal action to charge and try someone for a crime.

Taking property from someone by force, threat, or intimidation.

A court order allowing police to search a specific place for evidence.

The legal right to use reasonable force to protect yourself from harm.

The judge's decision on punishment after a defendant is found guilty.

A law allowing a person to use force, including deadly force, to defend themselves without a duty to retreat.

A court order requiring someone to appear in court or respond to a lawsuit.

Intentionally damaging or destroying someone else's property.