An acquittal can also occur in a few other ways, short of a verdict.
AcquittalĪ not-guilty verdict from a judge or jury results in an acquittal because the prosecution failed to meet its burden of proving the defendant guilty. That decision-which must be unanimous for a jury-will be a verdict of guilty or not guilty. When a defendant goes to trial, a judge or jury will hear all the evidence, deliberate, and decide whether the prosecutor met its burden of proof in the case.
With the above background in mind, let's break down the meanings and differences between guilty and not guilty, acquittal, hung jury, and innocence. Understanding the Terms: Acquitted, Not Guilty, Innocence, Hung Jury
NOT GUILTY VERDICT TRIAL
If the government fails to do so, even on just one element, it hasn't met its burden and the judge or jury must acquit the defendant-that is, they must find the defendant not guilty.Īn acquittal can also occur when a judge makes any ruling-such as on a trial motion-that the prosecution's evidence is insufficient to prove a defendant's guilt. Rather, the government (the prosecutor) must prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt on every element of the charged offense.Ī judge or jury can only convict the defendant-find the defendant guilty-when the government meets this burden by presenting sufficient evidence on each and every element of the crime. criminal justice system, defendants don't have to prove their innocence. Acquittal: Evidence Insufficient to Prove Guilt Whether a case ends with an acquittal is important because it determines whether or not a prosecutor can appeal or retry the case. Acquittals can occur in a few other ways, as well. Most often, we hear a defendant is acquitted when a jury enters a verdict of not guilty. They will not succeed.When a defendant is acquitted, it means the prosecution did not convince a judge or jury of a defendant's guilt. In a statement after the verdict, Whitmer said that "violence and threats have no place in our politics and those who seek to divide us will be held accountable. Violence is never the answer," he said.Įight other men who were involved in the kidnapping plot face state trials. "However, what you cannot do is plan or commit acts of violence. You can criticize your government, you can protest, you can vote your elected officials out of office," David Porter, an assistant special agent in charge for the FBI's Detroit office, told reporters outside the courthouse. "Here in America, if you disagree with your government, you have options. Prosecutors argued that the two men took multiple steps toward executing their plan. The legal team argued that Fox and Croft were just "big talkers." The lawyers for Croft and Fox have vowed to appeal. Croft is reportedly from Bear, Delaware, and worked as a trucker, while Fox was described by his attorney as poor and living in the basement of a vacuum store in the Grand Rapids area, according to the Associated Press. "They wanted to set off a second American Civil War and the second American Revolution," Kessler said.įox allegedly was the one who plotted the kidnapping while Croft handled the explosive preparation. Attorney Nils Kessler said in closing arguments Monday.
But that wasn't these defendants' ultimate goal," Assistant U.S. And this case is about a plot to abduct Gov. You can't snatch anybody, and you certainly can't make bombs that are meant to maim and kill people. You can't just strap on an AR-15 and body armor and go snatch the governor. There's one thing that's pretty simple still - kidnapping is wrong. "There are a lot of things that are complicated today. The guilty verdict comes four months after a different jury failed to reach a unanimous decision on Croft and Fox, and acquitted two other men in the plot. BREAKING: Jury convicts Fox, Croft in Whitmer kidnap plot
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