Prosecutor
person representing the government in a criminal case
Plaintiff
person initiating the complaint in a civil trial
Trier of Fact
judge or jury
Evidence
Proof; documents, items, testimony
Civil Case
brought by someone alleging another person did something harmful or failed to do something they had a duty to do
Alibi
evidence showing defendant was not at crime scene
Beyond a reasonable doubt
burden of proof in a criminal case
Discovery
process of sharing information/evidence before trial
Affidavit
written statement made by witness before trial
Defendant
the party accused of crime or subject of complaint in a lawsuit
Trial
Adversarial process to resolve conflict
Preponderance of the evidence
BURDEN OF PROOF IN CIVIL CASE: The standard of proof in which a judge or jury must believe the plaintiff's story/evidence is stronger than defendant's version.
Impeachment
questioning the credibility of witnesses
Criminal Case
brought by the government against a person accused of breaking a law
Testimony
explanation of what witness said/heard/did/experianced