12 Angry Men Essential Terms

Jury/Juror

• one of the twelve members of a jury; peers of the person on trial

• a legal representative of the accused

• a person who presents evidence in court

• a judge overseeing the trial

Foreperson

Foreman

Forewoman

• Head Juror

• Jury Member

• Court Clerk

• Defense Attorney

Acquittal

• A declaration that a person is guilty as charged

• A decision made by a judge to dismiss a case

• Declare a person on trial not guilty as a result of a unanimous jury vote

• A plea bargain agreement between the defendant and the prosecution

Defendant

• The person who brings a case against another in a court of law.

• Another name for 'the accused' person; their job is to defend themselves against the charges.

• A legal term for a witness in a trial.

• The judge who presides over a court case.

Reasonable Doubt

• A standard of proof in a civil trial; if there is reason to doubt that the evidence proves guilt, the verdict must be 'not guilty'.

• A standard of proof in a criminal trial; if there is reason to doubt that the evidence proves guilt, the verdict must be 'not guilty'.

• A standard of proof in a criminal trial; if there is certainty about the evidence, the verdict must be 'guilty'.

• A standard of proof in a criminal trial; if there is some evidence of guilt, the verdict must be 'guilty'.

Exhibit

• Physical or documentary evidence presented in court

• A type of legal document used to file a case

• A witness statement given during a trial

• A summary of the court's decision

Premeditated

• determined or decided in advance

• spontaneous and unplanned

• randomly chosen

• improvised at the moment

Hung Jury

• A jury that reaches a unanimous verdict

• A jury that is unable to reach a unanimous verdict, leading to a new selection process

• A jury that is dismissed without a verdict

• A jury that agrees on a majority verdict

Prosecution

• The person or persons who are bringing the lawsuit in a court case.

• The legal representative of the defendant in a court case.

• The judge presiding over the court case.

• The jury that decides the outcome of the case.

Deliberation

• The process by which a jury discusses the evidence and reaches a verdict.

• A method of collecting evidence before a trial.

• The act of making a decision without discussion.

• A formal statement made by a judge.