Definitions
Plea
The answer to the charge against you. 4 different types
I am a plea you can enter; I say you did the crime. What am I?
Guilty
I am the person who presides over the courtroom. I keep order in the court and make sure both sides are treated fairly. Sometimes I hand down the verdict and I always sentence those found guilty. Who am I?
Judge
You plead not guilty
You go to trial
Who decides if you take a plea bargain?
YOU do... with advice from your attorney.
Defense attorney
Represent the defendant in court and try to get the best possible verdict for them
We are the group of people selected from the community to hear a trial. We are selected based on our ability to make fair decisions. We are instructed on how the court system works and how to evaluate evidence. We give the verdict in cases we hear. Who are we?
The Jury
It is my job to find you guilty of the crime you are accused of committing. I represent the state in court. Who am I?
Prosecuting Attorney
You are found guilty?
You are sentenced. This can be to jail, prison, or probation.
What rights do you give up when you take a plea bargain?
Right to trial, right to an appeal
Felony
A more serious crime that can result in a prison sentence. The length of the sentence depends on how serious the offense was.
I am anything that gives proof of a persons’ guilt or innocence at a trial. I can be a testimony from a witness, an object such as knife, fingerprint, or a written document. What am I?
Evidence
I am an officer of the court who guards jurors and has charge of defendants while they are in the courtroom. I announce the judge and swear people in to testify. Who am I?
Bailiff
You go to trial?
Both sides talk about your case, present evidence, and call witnesses to the stand.
Depends on the evidence, what they will drop the charges to, what the sentence will be.
Verdict
The decision of the defendant is guilty or innocent
I am a plea you can enter that doesn’t say you did the crime and doesn’t say you didn’t do the crime. By pleading me, you are leaving the decision up to the court. What am I?
No Contest
I am when you get to go free, but are still under the supervision of an officer and the court. You must follow a set of rules the judge has set up.
Probation
You are found not guilty by reason of insanity?
You go to the hospital for treatment. You stay there until the judge decides it is safe for you to leave. Your time at the hospital could be longer than the sentence for the alleged crime.
Alex does not agree with the plea bargain she has been given. What does she do?
Consult her attorney
Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity
A plea you can enter that says, at the time of the crime, you were not aware of what you were doing.
I am when the judge, prosecuting attorney, and you attorney allow you to plead guilty to a less serious crime and receive a lighter sentence.
Plea Bargain
I am when you are unable to show an understanding of the legal proceedings, have symptoms that interfere with showing an understanding, or are unable to assist your attorney. What am I?
Incompetent to Stand Trial
You plead guilty/accept a plea bargain?
You don’t have a trial and you give up some rights (no appeal). You get sentenced and the conviction goes on your record. You have to say you did the thing they are accusing you of.
Sarah got arrested for Property Damage in the 1st degree (a class D felony). This is her first offense. The prosecutor is willing to discuss a plea bargain. The plea bargain involved reducing Sarah’s charge to a misdemeanor A and she would need to pay a fine. Is this an example of a good deal?
Class A misdemeanor is no more than 1 year in jail.