defendant rights
Legal safeguards for accused
Defendant rights are the legal protections afforded to a person accused of a crime.
In the United States, these include the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, the right to a speedy and public trial, and the right to confront witnesses.
The phrase appears in discussions of criminal procedure and constitutional law: The judge explained the defendant rights before arraignment.
Civil cases involve similar but distinct protections.
- habeas corpusWrit challenging lawful custody
- public defenderAttorney representing those unable to afford one
- court-appointed lawyerFree legal representation for defendants
- legal representationAttorney acting on behalf
- lawyerLicensed legal representative
remain silent · presumption of innocence · not guilty · Fifth Amendment · jury · due process · plea · plea bargain · verdict · equality before the law · exculpatory evidence · witness · double jeopardy · attorney · cross-examination · oath · court · burden of proof
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, crime
- legal rightshabeas corpus, jury trial, freedom of religion, trial by jury, speedy trial
- trial rightsfair trial, impartial jury, impartial judge, presumption of innocence, speedy trial
- arraignmentplea, charges, not guilty plea, guilty plea, bail setting
- interrogation rightsMiranda warning, self-incrimination, Fifth Amendment, police interrogation, interrogation
- legal defensesalibi, insanity, duress, entrapment, necessity
defendant rightspolice powers
Government's inherent enforcement capacity
state power · government authority · sovereign immunity · eminent domain · judicial discretion