Tag: Criminal Judicial Process

  • Probation

    Probation in the United States A criminal sentence that allows a person to return to the community under supervised release. Probation is an alternative to imprisonment and is applied to almost two-thirds of sentenced offenders in the United States. Control is maintained over the offender by […]

  • Disclosure

    Disclosure in the United States Release of information by one side in a legal case to the other side. Disclosure typically involves a prosecutor revealing information to the defense in a criminal case, but defense disclosure occurs in certain situations as well. Disclosure is a kind of […]

  • Discretion

    Discretion in the United States Power possessed by officials to act on the basis of their own judgment. Discretion gives officials choices in making decisions, but the choices are not unbounded. Rather, discretion is generally circumscribed by some rules or principles and cannot be arbitrarily […]

  • Discretion

    Discretion in the United States Power possessed by officials to act on the basis of their own judgment. Discretion gives officials choices in making decisions, but the choices are not unbounded. Rather, discretion is generally circumscribed by some rules or principles and cannot be arbitrarily […]

  • Grand Jury

    Grand Jury in the United States An investigative body that makes accusations rather than determines guilt. The grand jury evaluates information generated on its own or brought to it by a prosecutor. If the grand jury determines that probable cause exists, it returns an indictment against an […]

  • Grand Jury

    Grand Jury in the United States An investigative body that makes accusations rather than determines guilt. The grand jury evaluates information generated on its own or brought to it by a prosecutor. If the grand jury determines that probable cause exists, it returns an indictment against an […]

  • Self-Incrimination

    Self-Incrimination in the United States Testimony offered by a person that may lead to his or her conviction. The privilege against self-incrimination is designed to keep the burden of proof on the prosecution. The Bill of Rights speaks to the matter of self-incrimination in the Fifth […]

  • Crimes

    Crimes in the United States Crimes are defined by legislative bodies at both the federal and state levels. Only a very small proportion of criminal cases (something under two percent) are federal, because the federal government has limited police power. Rather, the prosecution of criminal […]

  • Imprisonment

    Imprisonment in the United States Sanction of confinement imposed on a person found guilty of a crime. Terms of imprisonment are defined by legislative bodies, which establish minimum and maximum sentences for an offense. Judges then chose from the statutory range when imposing sentence on a […]

  • Imprisonment

    Imprisonment in the United States Sanction of confinement imposed on a person found guilty of a crime. Terms of imprisonment are defined by legislative bodies, which establish minimum and maximum sentences for an offense. Judges then chose from the statutory range when imposing sentence on a […]

  • Statute Of Limitations

    Statute of Limitations in the United States A law that establishes a time period within which legal action must commence. Statutes of limitation are legislative enactments and the operative time limits vary across jurisdictions and by the issue involved. Statutes of limitation typically set […]

  • Search And Seizure

    Search and Seizure in the United States Action of government officials whereby people or places are examined in an effort to locate and confiscate evidence of a crime. Government power to search and seize is part of its greater authority to exercise police power and enforce the law. The power […]

  • Search And Seizure

    Search and Seizure in the United States Action of government officials whereby people or places are examined in an effort to locate and confiscate evidence of a crime. Government power to search and seize is part of its greater authority to exercise police power and enforce the law. The power […]

  • Presentment

    Presentment in the United States A criminal accusation made by a grand jury acting on its own initiative. A presentment takes the form of a bill of indictment, but it is individually signed by all grand jury members voting to return it. See Also Grand Jury (Criminal Process) Indictment […]

  • Presentment

    Presentment in the United States A criminal accusation made by a grand jury acting on its own initiative. A presentment takes the form of a bill of indictment, but it is individually signed by all grand jury members voting to return it. See Also Grand Jury (Criminal Process) Indictment […]