Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms +

A signed declaration in which an affiant makes a sworn testimony: An affidavit is a statement in writing given under oath before someone who is authorized to administer an oath.

To uphold the opinion or decision of a lower trial court, usually, an action by an appellate court: The judgement or decree was affirmed by the lower court. t

In courts, an oath, or a declaration in place of an oath: An affirmation is for people whose religious beliefs prohibit oaths, to tell the truth and nothing but the truth when giving legal testimony.

A response to a criminal charge where the defendant bears the burden of proof, such as automatism, intoxication, coercion, duress, mistake, etc.: An affirmative defense goes beyond the simple denial of facts and gives new facts in favor of the defendant, if the information in the original complaint are true.

Action on the part of women to actively seek to be included on juries: In former times, affirmative registration did not exist because juries were comprised exclusively of men.

Chronological date when one reaches legal adulthood: The age of majority isusually either 18 or 21; when juveniles are no longer under the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts, but rather the criminal courts.

An event about crime that may intensify the severity of punishment: Aggravating circumstances can include bodily injury, death of the victim, or the brutality of the act.

Defense to a criminal allegation that places an accused individual at some other place than the crime scene at the time the crime occurred: Mr. Grave's alibi was that he was having dinner with his family at the time of the crime.

A statement or assertion that is not upheld by evidence or proof: There have been a few allegations of criminal involvement by suspected persons living in town.

To aver; to assert; to claim: Usually a prosecutor will allege certain facts in developing a case against a criminal defendant.

Right of convicted offenders to address the court personally prior to the imposition of sentences: Mr. Bad,who was convicted of a terrible crime that caused injury to another person, used his legal right of allocution to make a statement to the court.

A juror who has been selected to replace any one of the regular jurors who may have become ill and cannot attend the full trial proceeding: These replacement or alternate jurors are responsible for the same tasks as regular jurors who will hear and decide cases.

A procedure whereby a criminal case is redefined as a civil one: An alternative dispute resolution regarding the case is decided by an impartial arbiter, where other parties agree to an amicable settlement.

This is usually reserved for minor offenses.

A modification, addition, or deletion: An amendment can be a correction or revision of an error in a process or writ.

National organization of U.S. lawyers headquartered in Chicago, Illinois: The American Bar Association is nationwide and in which qualified attorneys can voluntarily belong.

The ABA consists of more than 400,000 members and is the largest voluntary professional association in the world.