Definitions
Legal Studies 3080
Definitions
In the previous chart there were several new terms that need to be defined:
-
Arraign: to formally read to an accused the charge(s) that he or she must face.
-
Charge to the jury: a talk a judge gives to the jury before it retires for deliberation in which the judge discusses evidence and explains relevant law.
-
Directed verdict: a verdict of acquittal that a judge instructs a jury to reach if the Crown doesn't prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Here are a few more terms you should be familiar with:
-
Circumstantial evidence: indirect evidence; for example, evidence given by a person who didn't actually witness the event.
-
Examination-in-chief : the first examination of a witness during a trial.
Hung jury: a jury in a criminal trial that cannot agree on a verdict.