Chances are you’ve seen quite a few episodes of courtroom dramas on television or have seen movies where a large part of them takes place in the courtroom.
As you might expect, there’s much less drama and fewer surprise witnesses than you’ll find in real life. But there are many words and phrases that a defense attorney might use that are important to know, even if your case never makes it to trial.
Jurisprudence: Here’s a big word that’s very easy to explain. It simply means “the study of the legal system and the law.” It’s a combination of two latin words meaning “law” and “knowledge.”
Due Process: If you’re in need of a criminal attorney, thank the Constitution that you’ve got the right. Due process means that you have the guarantee that you’ll receive a fair and impartial law. And as your criminal defense law firm, we’ll make every effort to ensure that your due process is respected.
Grand Jury: If your case goes to trial, you’ll met the judge and the jury. But you’ll never meet the Grand Jury. By the time you’ve reached trial, the Grand Jury’s job is already done, having looked at the evidence presented by the prosecutor to decide whether or not there’s probable cause and enough evidence to continue with the case against you. If they decide there is probable cause, they issue an…
Indictment: Indictments are formal charges from the grand jury stating that there is indeed enough evidence to continue with the legal process of prosecuting you. This is used almost exclusively used if the defendant is accused of a felony.
Injunctions: Injunctions are an order from the judge that is legally binding and causes someone to do or not do something. Restraining orders are one of the most known kind of injunction in order to keep one person away from another. It’s also a way the judge can prevent someone from doing something (ensuring the status quo) until he can decide of a permanent injunction is necessary. Injunctions are made formal by a…
Writ: A writ is a formal written order from the court directing a person to do, or refrain from doing, a certain act.
Nolo Contendre (No Contest): Did you know that “Guilty” and “Not Guilty” aren’t the only two pleas that you can enter? If you remain silent, the court will enter a plea of “Not Guilty.” You are also allowed to enter a plea of “Nolo Contendere,” which means “no contest.” For legal purposes this is entered as a guilty plea, but you’re not admitting guilt to the crime.
Statute of Limitation: You’ve probably heard of this one. It simply means that there are limitations on the amount of time that can pass between the time the crime was committed and when criminal prosecution begins. There are limits on nearly every crime except murder.
We hope this short list has enlightened you on some of the terms that you might start to hear when you’re spending time with your defense attorney. Find the best criminal defense attorney you can and you’ll be in a lot better shape.
