Constitutional Rights
This Latin term means "you may have the body" and protects against unlawful detention.
What is Habeas Corpus?
This is the first court appearance where the defendant hears the charges against them.
What is an Arraignment?
This person represents the government in criminal cases.
Who is the District Attorney / Prosecutor?
This hearing determines if there's enough evidence to proceed with a trial.
What is a Preliminary Hearing?
This legal document formally accuses someone of a crime.
What is an Indictment?
This constitutional right allows a person to be released from jail before trial, usually by paying money.
What is Bail?
This is an agreement between the prosecutor and defendant to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser charge or sentence.
What is a Plea Bargain?
This type of lawyer represents defendants who cannot afford to hire their own attorney.
Who is a Public Defender?
At this hearing, the defendant enters their plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.
What is an Arraignment?
This is the standard of proof needed for a search warrant or arrest.
What is Probable Cause?
This group of citizens decides whether there's enough evidence to bring criminal charges against someone.
What is a Grand Jury?
This group of citizens listens to evidence and decides the verdict in a trial.
What is a Jury?
This person presides over the court and ensures fair proceedings.
Who is the Judge?
This type of hearing occurs when a jury cannot reach a unanimous decision.
What is a Mistrial?
In a criminal trial, this falls on the prosecution.
What is the Burden of Proof?
This legal principle states that the prosecution must prove the defendant's guilt beyond this level of doubt.
What is Reasonable Doubt? (part of Burden of Proof)
This is the order of events that occur during a trial, from opening statements to verdict.
What is Order of Courtroom Operations?
These are two ways judges can be selected at the state level.
What are elections and appointments?
This type of hearing reviews a convicted person's sentence without retrying the case.
What is an Appeal?
These are the three main categories of punishment in the criminal justice system.
What are fines, probation, and incarceration?