1.
Administrative Regulations: It’s rules that government agencies put in place to help
carry out and enforce laws.
2. Adversary System: It’s when two parties present their case to a judge or jury. The
defendant is guilty until proven innocent.
3. Alibi Defense: Is when a defendant provides evidence to show they were not at the scene
of the crime.
4. Anglo-American Law: It relies on both written law and court decisions.
5. Attempts: It’s when a person attempts to commit a crime but fails.
6. Attendant (Accompanying) Circumstances: It’s the additional facts that help define a
crime.
7. Bill of Rights: It’s the first 8 amendments.
8. Civil Law: It’s based on legal codes.
9. Common Law: Judges use past cases to make decisions that can be used for future cases.
10. Constitution: It’s a set of rules that a country or a state makes to help govern and
structure how they want to run things.
11. Corpus Delicti: It means “body of the crime.”
12. Criminal Defenses: It’s a set of strategies and arguments to help make sure the
defendant is protected and prosecuted fairly.
13. Criminal Intent: It’s the mental state of the person when they committed the crime.
14. Criminal Law: It’s a law to help make sure criminals get punished for their crimes.
15. Crime Control Model: It puts in place tough policies in hopes to deter crime.
16. Criminal Justice System: It has three components; law enforcement, courts, and
corrections.
17. CSI Effect: It’s when shows and movies that revolve around crime affect people's
judgement on forensic evidence shown in court.
18. Due Process Model: It focuses on the rights of the accused.
19. Due Process of Law: It’s the legal obligation to be fair.
20. Defense of Excuse: It’s when the accused admits to a crime but maintains their
innocence because they lacked criminal intent.
21. Defense of Justification: It’s when the defendant claims their actions are justified and
not criminal.
22. Elements of a Crime: The elements are physical, mental, and the connection between
the two.
23. Felonies: It’s a more serious crime that can be punished by a year or more in prison,
fines, or death.
24. Guilt Act (Actus Reus): It’s the physical act of committing a crime.
25. Infancy: It’s a defense that the accused was too young to know what they were doing.
26. Insanity Defense: The defendant claims they should not be held responsible because of
mental illness or a defect.
27. Judge-made Law: It’s specific laws created by judges when they make cases.
28. Juvenile Delinquency: A young person committing crimes or offenses regularly.
29. Law: It’s rules a country or state enforces onto their citizens.
30. Misdemeanors: It’s a less serious offense that's punished by a year or less in jail or fines.
31. Mistake of Fact: It’s believing something is true, but it’s not. Like stealing someone's
umbrella because you thought it’s yours.
32. Municipal Ordinance: It’s a law or regulation made by a local government.
33. Necessity: It’s when a person is forced to break the law to prevent them or another
person from being immediately harmed.
34. Precedent: It’s a court ruling that is used in similar cases in the future.
35. Procedural Defenses: It challenges a criminal prosecution because of errors made in the
legal processes.
36. Procedural Law: It’s a set of rules and guidelines put in place to govern how criminal
cases progress through the legal system.
37. Result: It’s the outcome of a criminal case.
38. Selective Incorporation: It applies some Bills of Rights protections on a case by case
basis.
39. Self-defense: It’s a use of force to protect a person from getting injured or killed.
40. Stare Decisis: It means courts should follow previous rulings in similar cases.
41. Statues: It’s the laws enacted by the legislature.
42. Substantive Law: It’s the elements and punishment of a crime.
43. Violations: It’s a minor offense.