- Acquittal: A verdict from a judge or jury that a criminal defendant is not guilty, or the evidence is insufficient to support a conviction.
- Admissible: Evidence is considered “admissible” if it meets all of the standards required to present it in a court of law.
- Affidavit: A statement (written or printed) made under oath.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): A way to settle a dispute outside of the courtroom. Most ADRs involve the help of a neutral third party, such as a mediator or arbitrator.
- Appeal: A request made after a trial by the losing party to have the case reviewed by a higher court.
- Bench Trial: A trial where the judge acts as the decision-maker instead of a jury.
- Class Action Lawsuit: A lawsuit in which an individual or small group sues an entity on the behalf of a much larger group. i.e.: Thousands of customers suing a company for damages caused by a faulty product.
- Community Service: A verdict in which the court requires an individual to work without pay for a nonprofit organization.
- Conviction: A guilty verdict against a criminal defendant.
- Defendant: The individual or business against whom a lawsuit is filed.
- Evidence: Facts or items presented in the court of law with the intention to persuade the judge or jury.
- Felony: A serious crime, usually punishable by a minimum of one year in prison.
- Hearsay: Information presented by a witness who did not see the incident in question, but rather heard about it from someone else.
- Judge: An official of the United States Judicial branch with the authority to decide lawsuits brought before a court.
- Jury: A group of people selected to hear the evidence in a trial and make a verdict.
- Litigation: Another word for a court case, or lawsuit.
- Misdemeanor: A less-serious crime, punishable by a maximum of one year imprisonment.
- Mistrial: An invalid trial which leads to the restarting of the same case with a new jury.
- Plaintiff: A person or business who files the lawsuit with a court.
- Plea Bargain: An agreement made between the plaintiff and defendant where the defendant agrees to plead guilty in order to receive a lesser punishment. Also known as a plea deal.
- Settlement: Parties resolve their dispute without trial. This usually involves the payment of the defendant to at least the partial satisfaction of the plaintiff.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials.
- Verdict: The determination of guilt or innocence made by the judge or jury.
- Witness: A person called upon during a trial to give a testimony before the court.
