not guilty

not guilty
not guilty n
1: a plea by a criminal defendant who intends to contest the charges compare guilty, nolo contendere
Under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, if a defendant refuses to plead or if the defendant is a corporation that fails to appear the court must enter a plea of not guilty on the defendant's behalf.
2: a verdict rendered by a jury acquitting a criminal defendant upon finding that the prosecution has not proven the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt

Merriam-Websters Dictionary of Law. . 1996.

not guilty
I adjective above suspicion, blameless, clean-handed, exculpable, faultless, free from guilt, guilt-free, guiltless, impeccable, incorrupt, inculpable, innocent, not responsible, sinless, unblemished, unimpeachable, uninvolved associated concepts: plea of not guilty II index acquitted, blameless, clean, clear (free from criminal charges), inculpable, irreprehensible

Burton's Legal Thesaurus. . 2006


not guilty
n.
(1) A plea given by a criminal defendant who denies committing the crime in question.
(2) A verdict given by the jury in a criminal trial if it finds that the state has not proved its case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


not guilty
the verdict of a court that a person is not, in law or in fact, responsible for the crime charged against him. See guilty, not proven.

Collins dictionary of law. . 2001.


not guilty
A plea entered by a defendant in a criminal case. Often erroneously confused with a claim of innocence, technically a plea of not guilty simply compels the prosecution to prove every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. When the jury (or a judge sitting without a jury) acquits a defendant after trial, they return a verdict of "not guilty," which indicates their conclusion that the prosecution did not meet its burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. (See also: reasonable doubt)
Category: Criminal Law
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolos Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


not guilty
n.
1 A determination by a jury that the evidence is insufficient to convict the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.
2 A defendant's plea in court denying the prosecution's charges.
@ not guilty by reason of insanity
A jury verdict or plea that acknowledges that the defendant committed the crime but states that he or she was not responsible for his or her actions by reason of a mental disease or defect, and so could not have formed the requisite mens rea, and therefore, is not guilty.
@

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.

not guilty
n.
   1) plea of a person who claims not to have committed the crime of which he/she is accused, made in court when arraigned (first brought before a judge) or at a later time set by the court. The choices of what one can plea are: guilty, not guilty, no contest, not guilty by reason of insanity, or incompetent to stand trial.
   2) verdict after trial by a judge sitting without a jury or by a jury (unanimous decision in all but two states, which allow a verdict by only 10 of 12 jurors), stating that the prosecution has not proved the defendant guilty of a crime or that it believes the accused person was insane at the time the crime was committed. The accused cannot be tried again for the crime charged.

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • not guilty — adjective declared not guilty of a specific offense or crime; legally blameless he stands acquitted on all charges the jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity • Syn: ↑acquitted • Similar to: ↑innocent, ↑guiltless, ↑clean handed …   Useful english dictionary

  • not guilty — 1. noun a) A formal plea by a defendant of not being culpable for the crime with which the defendant is charged. If you do not plead, a plea of not guilty will be entered for you. b) A verdict or formal finding by the legal system that a… …   Wiktionary

  • not guilty — Plea entered by the accused to criminal charge. If the defendant refuses to plead, the court will enter a plea of not guilty. See e.g. Fed.R.Crim.P. 11. Also, the form of the verdict in criminal cases where the jury acquits the defendant; i.e.… …   Black's law dictionary

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  • not guilty — See plea of not guilty …   Ballentine's law dictionary

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  • not guilty verdict — See verdict of not guilty …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • not guilty — /nɒt ˈgɪlti/ (say not giltee) noun 1. the plea to a criminal charge where the accused wants to put the prosecution to the task of proving his or her guilt. 2. a subsequent verdict signifying the prosecution s failure to establish the accused s… …  

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