Criminal Law Terms

noun a legal procedure in which a person accused of a crime is formally charged and brought before a court

• The defendant's arraignment is scheduled for next Monday.
• They're arraigning him in court next week.
• He's getting arraigned on Monday.
• The arraignment of his actions by society was swift and harsh.

noun a person, company, or institution against whom an action is brought in a court of law

• The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
• The person on trial says they didn't do it.
• The guy in court swears he's innocent.
• The accused is fighting tooth and nail to prove their innocence.

noun The act of producing a fake or fraudulent copy of something, such as a document or signature

• The suspect was charged with forgery after attempting to pass counterfeit bills at the bank.
• I heard that someone got caught for forgery at the store down the street.
• Don't mess with forgery, it's serious business.
• His smile was like a forgery, fake and insincere.

noun a professional who is trained in the law and gives legal assistance

• The legal counselor provided expert advice on navigating the complex legal system.
• I always turn to my legal counselor for help with any legal issues.
• My legal counselor is like my legal superhero, always saving the day.
• In times of trouble, a legal counselor can be a guiding light through the darkness of legal matters.

noun a person involved in a lawsuit

• The litigant presented their case in front of the judge.
• The person suing is called the litigant.
• The litigant was really gunning for a win in court.
• In the courtroom, the litigant was like a warrior fighting for justice.

verb to admit or declare that one has committed a crime or offense

adjective showing a willingness to admit wrongdoing or fault

• The defendant decided to plead guilty to the charges brought against them.
• He finally admitted his mistake and pleaded guilty.
• She caved and pled guilty to avoid a longer trial.
• In the court of public opinion, he had no choice but to plead guilty.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

article a word that is used with a noun to specify grammatical definiteness of the noun

• The suspect was caught trying to pick the lock on the safe.
• I heard someone trying to pick the lock on the door last night.
• I can't believe he actually picked the lock on the gate to get in.
• She was able to pick the lock on his heart and win him over.