A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A B

abridging	Making changes or shortening something.
accusation	Statement of guilt, someone saying that you did it, a charge against you.
acquitted	Result in a trial when the accused is not found guilty or innocent, but released because there is not enough evidence to convict.
affirmation	A positive statement, saying yes, or swearing to tell the truth.
amendment	An addition to a document or policy, a change to the original.
ascertained	Figured out, a conclusion was made.
assemble	A meeting of a group, to meet or gather.
assistance	Help in some way.
assures	Guarantees to the best ability, like a promise.
attorney	Lawyer.

C

capitol crime	A very serious crime where life or limb has been taken.
censorship	The altering or deleting of information by an authority.
charged	When enough evidence is presented for a crime the person is told what they are accused of.
committed	Done or carried out, as in he committed the crime.
common law	Common practice that has been handed down through history by English law.
compelled	Forced, against your will.
compensation	Payment of some type, either in money, property, or status.
compulsory	Mandatory, must do, don't have a choice of saying no.
confronted	Face to face in a one against the other situation, in your face.
consent	Permission.
consequences	Actions that may be carried out against you in response to your actions.
constitution	A document of policy determining how a government should and will act.
constitutional	Referring to a constitution, something is constitutional if it agrees with the constitution.
construed	Understood to mean, interpreted.
controversy	An issue with opposing sides, the more one side is against the other, the more controversy exists.
convicted	After the accused is put on trial and found to be guilty, he is convicted, or sent to
counsel	An attorney, or lawyer.
criminal	Term used to describe anyone who commits or has committed a crime.
criticizing	Finding something wrong with an argument, person, or object.

D

defense	Means of claiming that you are not guilty, attempt to prove the accusations wrong.
delegated	Assigned duties or responsibilities to another.
deny	Saying that something is not true.
deprived	Not allowed to have.
disparage	To not count as very important, to lessen the meaning of something or someone.
due process	A process of steps where everyone is treated equally and all have a chance to speak.

E

enumeration	A listing of rights, or steps.
evidence	Any physical things or witnesses that make it look like the accused is guilty or innocent.
excessive	More than enough, too much.
execution	The killing of another person in a ritual style, in this case, by the state.

F

favor	To give special treatment.
founding fathers	Men who helped create the country, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, etc.

G H

grand jury	A group of people who listen to evidence and decide if there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime prior to trial.
grievances	Complaints, statement about unfair treatment or conditions.
guilty	All the evidence indicates that the person did it, they are guilty.

I

J K

jeopardy	Danger.
justify	To show that one is right or legally correct.
Ku Klux Klan	White supremacy group that is not tolerant of minorities and has a long history of violence.

L M N O

libel	A statement spoken, drawn, or even written that damages someone's reputation or good name.
limb	Body part, usually refers to arm or leg.
militia	Group of citizens with some military training called upon in an emergency.
oath	A promise before witnesses.
offense	The act of doing something wrong.
outraged	Very, very mad.

P

particularly	Especially.
petition	A written document signed by citizens to show support and agreement on an issue.
prejudiced	Having feelings or opinions about an individual or group prior to knowing much about them, without good reason.
prescribed	Directed or ordered to do a specific task.
presentment	Act of presenting a statement of action to an authority, as in a grand jury to a judge.
preserved	Protected from injury or harm.
prevent	To keep from happening, stop something before it starts.
probable cause	Legal term referring to a police officers reasonable belief that someone has committed a crime.
procedure	Series of steps followed to guarantee that all steps are taken.
prohibited, prohibiting	To make impossible, not allowed, to prevent.
proponents	People in favor of a position, supporters.
prosecution	The process or lawyer(s) trying to prove that the accused is guilty
pursue	To follow or chase, go after.

Q R

quartered	Keep in your home, or in the case of punishment - torn into four pieces by horses pulling in four different directions.
ratified	Approved.
redress	To remedy, or to right a wrong.
reexamined	To look at again.
regulate	To control through legislation (laws), put rules on something.
respectively	In a certain order, each item refers to another.
reserved	Put aside for, to be used only for.
respecting	In regards to, referring to.
rights	Freedoms and privileges that are granted to each citizen either through a government or through "natural law," meaning that's just the way it's supposed to be.

S T

security	Safety and protection.
seized	Taken control of, or taken away.
slander	Making false and damaging statements about someone's reputation.
subpoena	A court document ordering someone to come to court for a trial.
suits	As in law suit, a case or charge brought by one person against another seeking a legal solution.
summons	A court document ordering someone to come to court for a trial.
testify	Statements made in court under oath, saying your side of what happened.
testimony	Statements made by a witness under oath about what he or she knows about the crime.
trial	Legal procedure used to determine the truth about a crime or offense, and to determine guilt or innocence of the accused.

U V W X Y Z

violated	Breaking of a law, or rule, caused harm to another.
warrants	Court documents issued for arrests or for searches, must be issued by a judge.
witness	Anyone with first hand knowledge of the events surrounding a crime, or absence of a crime.