reasonable doubt
Jury's uncertainty standard
Reasonable doubt is the legal standard for conviction in criminal trials—if jurors have reasonable doubt about a defendant's guilt, they must acquit.
The doubt must be based on reason and common sense, not mere speculation.
The prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The standard protects against wrongful conviction by requiring near-certainty before the state can punish.
Duty to prove allegations
- presumption of innocenceDefault legal blamelessness
- standard of proofRequired level of certainty
- moral certaintyFirm ethical conviction
- clear and convincingLegal proof threshold
Legal decision-making body
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- defenseProtection against harm
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
witness · cross-examination · closing argument · judge · courtroom · criminal trial · defendant · counsel
Formal clearing of charges
- not guiltyCleared of charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
- guiltyResponsible for wrongdoing
- hung juryUnanimous verdict impossible
deliberation · jury instruction · finding · determination · unanimous · exoneration · mistrial · discharge
Disposition toward doubt
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- misgivingsFeelings of doubt
- qualmsMoral reservations or unease
- unconvincedNot yet believing
doubtful · questioning · inconclusive · ambiguity · plausibility · unresolved · credibility gap · pause
burden of proof
Duty to prove allegations
- presumption of innocenceDefault legal blamelessness
- standard of proofRequired level of certainty
- moral certaintyFirm ethical conviction
jury
Legal decision-making body
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- defenseProtection against harm
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
testimony · witness · cross-examination · closing argument · judge · courtroom · criminal trial · defendant · counsel · circumstantial evidence
acquittal
Formal clearing of charges
- not guiltyCleared of charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
- guiltyResponsible for wrongdoing
hung jury · deliberation · jury instruction · finding · determination · unanimous · exoneration · mistrial · discharge · judgment
skepticism
Disposition toward doubt
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- misgivingsFeelings of doubt
- qualmsMoral reservations or unease
unconvinced · doubtful · questioning · inconclusive · ambiguity · plausibility · unresolved · credibility gap · pause
- jury trialjury deliberation, jury selection, juror selection, voir dire, jury pool
- legal proofburden of proof, standard of proof, clear and convincing, onus, preponderance
- courtroomjudge, jury, oath taking, lawyer, bench
- criminal trialarraignment, defense attorney, courtroom, criminal trial, prosecutor
- lawlaw, lawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys
- doubtdoubts, doubting, doubtful, skepticism, mistrust
reasonable doubtmoral certainty
Firm ethical conviction
certainty · absolute certainty · certitude · beyond reasonable doubt · conviction
reasonable doubtcertainty
Total absence of doubt
certitude · sureness · conviction · assurance
reasonable doubtincontrovertible evidence
Proof impossible to dispute
preponderance of the evidence · conclusive evidence · probable cause · smoking gun
doubt, reason, reasoning, reasonable, reasonably, unreasonable, reasoned, unreasonably, unreasonableness