Law Enforcement Terms

noun a court official who is responsible for keeping order in a courtroom and carrying out various administrative tasks

• The bailiff served the court summons to the defendant.
• The bailiff is the one who hands out the legal papers in court.
• The bailiff is like the court's messenger.
• The bailiff's presence in the courtroom was a reminder of the consequences of breaking the law.

noun a person or group of people employed to protect someone, especially a famous person or politician

• The celebrity hired a bodyguard to ensure her safety at public events.
• I feel like a bodyguard when I walk my little sister to school.
• That guy acts like he's the bodyguard of the group, always watching out for everyone.
• My best friend is like my emotional bodyguard, always there to protect me from negativity.

noun a person who has committed a crime

adjective relating to crime or criminals

• The criminal was sentenced to ten years in prison for his actions.
• The guy who robbed the bank got caught and is now a criminal.
• That dude is a total criminal, always up to no good.
• His reckless behavior was criminal in nature, causing harm to those around him.

noun the action of detaining someone or the state of being detained

• The student was given a detention for repeatedly disrupting the class.
• I got detention for talking back to the teacher.
• I got busted and ended up in detention.
• Being stuck in traffic felt like being in detention.

noun A person who represents the government in criminal cases in a particular district or jurisdiction.

• The district attorney is responsible for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the government.
• The DA is the one who goes after the bad guys in court.
• The district attorney is like the legal enforcer in the courtroom.
• The district attorney is the legal guardian of justice in the community.

noun A civil officer or lay judge who administers the law, especially one who conducts a court that deals with minor offenses and holds preliminary hearings for more serious ones.

• The magistrate presided over the court proceedings with impartiality and integrity.
• The magistrate is known for being fair and just in his judgments.
• Yo, did you hear about that crazy case the magistrate had to deal with?
• The magistrate of truth and justice will always prevail in the end.

noun a formal accusation of a crime made by a prosecutor or law enforcement

verb to officially accuse someone of committing a crime

• The prosecutor will decide whether to prefer charges against the suspect.
• The police might prefer charges if they have enough evidence.
• If they catch him red-handed, they'll definitely prefer charges.
• In the court of public opinion, people may prefer charges even before the legal process begins.

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

• The victim has decided to press charges against the perpetrator for theft.
• If someone steals from you, you should definitely press charges.
• I heard she's planning to press charges against her ex-boyfriend for cheating on her.
• The company will press charges against any employee found leaking confidential information.

verb to bring a criminal action against someone in a court of law

• The district attorney decided to prosecute the suspect for embezzlement.
• The police are going to prosecute that guy for stealing.
• They're gonna prosecute him for pulling that stunt.
• Her guilt was so overwhelming that she felt like her conscience was prosecuting her.

noun the party instituting a legal action in a court of law

• The prosecution presented strong evidence against the defendant in court.
• The prosecution is really going after that guy in the trial.
• The prosecution is gunning for a conviction in this case.
• The prosecution of corrupt officials is like a game of chess, with each move carefully planned out.

noun A person, typically a lawyer, who institutes legal proceedings against someone

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• The prosecutor presented the evidence to the jury during the trial.
• The prosecutor grilled the witness on the stand.
• The prosecutor is really gunning for a conviction in this case.
• The prosecutor is like a bulldog, never letting go until justice is served.

verb to overcome or bring under control by force, intimidation, or persuasion

• The police were successful in subduing the suspect without the use of excessive force.
• It took three security guards to subdue the rowdy customer at the bar.
• The bouncer had no trouble subduing the troublemaker at the club.
• Her calming presence had a way of subduing even the most chaotic situations.

noun a writ ordering a person to attend a court.

verb to summon with a subpoena.

• The lawyer issued a subpoena to compel the witness to testify in court.
• The cop served him with a subpoena to appear in court.
• They hit him with a subpoena to show up at the trial.
• The sudden rainstorm was like a subpoena from nature to stay indoors.

noun the process of overseeing and managing a project or activity

• Under the close supervision of the project manager, the team was able to complete the task ahead of schedule.
• My mom keeps a close eye on me when I'm cooking, it's like constant supervision in the kitchen.
• I can't believe my boss is always breathing down my neck, it's like I'm under constant supervision at work.
• The artist felt like her creativity was stifled under the strict supervision of the art director.

noun abbreviation for District Attorney, a public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses

• The D.A. is responsible for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the government.
• I heard the D.A. is tough on crime in this city.
• The D.A. is always trying to lock people up.
• The D.A. of our group is the one who always keeps us in line.

noun the killing of someone during the commission of a felony

• The defendant was charged with felony murder after committing a robbery that resulted in a death.
• They got hit with felony murder for that botched robbery.
• They're looking at a felony murder rap for that job gone wrong.
• The consequences of his actions snowballed into a felony murder charge.

noun a compound noun formed by combining 'narco', related to drug trafficking, with 'violence', meaning the use of physical force to harm others

• The government is taking measures to address the issue of narcoviolence in the region.
• People are scared to go out at night because of all the narcoviolence happening around here.
• The streets are filled with narcoviolence and it's getting out of control.
• The dark cloud of narcoviolence looms over the city, casting a shadow on its residents.

noun a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive force, typically making a characteristic loud, sharp noise

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• The police confiscated several illegal guns during the raid.
• I heard that John owns a few guns for hunting.
• Some people think carrying guns is cool, but it's really not.
• Her words were like guns, piercing through his heart with every sentence.

noun a noisy argument or fight

verb to engage in a noisy argument or fight

• The police were called to the scene of multiple affrays in the downtown area.
• There were a bunch of affrays happening at the party last night.
• Things got pretty heated and turned into affrays at the bar.
• The conflict between the two countries escalated into affrays on the international stage.