not guilty
Acquitted defendant's status
Not guilty is the formal verdict delivered when a court or jury determines that a defendant has not been proven to have committed the crime charged.
It does not necessarily mean innocent—only that the prosecution failed to meet its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Outside legal contexts, people use not guilty more casually to deny responsibility: Don't look at me, I'm not guilty!
To plead not guilty is to formally deny the charges and require the state to prove its case.
Formal clearing of charges
- exonerationOfficial clearing of blame
- clearedFound not guilty
- vindicatedCleared of accusation
- dischargedOfficially let go
dismissed · jury · deliberation · unanimous · beyond reasonable doubt · hung jury · mistrial · foreman
Defense of location
- reasonable doubtLegal uncertainty requiring acquittal
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
- presumption of innocenceDefault legal blamelessness
- cross-examinationOpposing party questions witness
testimony · evidence · witness · attorney · counsel · plea · self-defense · justification
Free of wrongdoing
- clean recordAbsence of prior offenses
- untaintedFree from contamination
- exculpatedCleared of wrongdoing
- miscarriage of justiceLegal system punishing the innocent
Charge-reading court session
- pleadingUrgent heartfelt request
- defendantParty facing charges
- chargesAmounts owed or alleged
- indictmentFormal charge from jury
courtroom · judge · prosecution · district attorney · felony · misdemeanor · criminal case · preliminary hearing
acquittal
Formal clearing of charges
- exonerationOfficial clearing of blame
- clearedFound not guilty
- vindicatedCleared of accusation
discharged · dismissed · jury · deliberation · unanimous · beyond reasonable doubt · hung jury · mistrial · foreman · pronouncement
alibi
Defense of location
- reasonable doubtLegal uncertainty requiring acquittal
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
- presumption of innocenceDefault legal blamelessness
cross-examination · testimony · evidence · witness · attorney · counsel · plea · self-defense · justification · rebuttal
blameless
Free of wrongdoing
- clean recordAbsence of prior offenses
- untaintedFree from contamination
- exculpatedCleared of wrongdoing
miscarriage of justice · DNA evidence · compensation · wrongful conviction
arraignment
Charge-reading court session
indictment · courtroom · judge · prosecution · district attorney · felony · misdemeanor · criminal case · preliminary hearing · grand jury
exonerated
Cleared of wrongdoing
- absolvedFreed from guilt
- vindicatedCleared of accusation
- freedReleased from confinement
liberated · released · reprieve · deliverance · respite · solace · closure · gratitude · tears · embrace
- courtroom expressionsobjection, sustained, overruled, all rise, I object
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, crime
- expressions of disavowalno way, I deny it, never, I decline, false
- Criminal Defensedefense attorney, defense lawyer, defense strategy, defense team, defense witness
- Criminal Procedurearraignment, arrest, grand jury, investigation, jury trial
- verdictsconvicted, unanimous verdict, split verdict, criminal verdict, liable
not guiltyguilty
Responsible for wrongdoing
convicted · found guilty · guilty as charged · condemned · sentenced
not guiltyguilty
Responsible for wrongdoing
culpable · blameworthy · responsible · at fault · liable