“Not guilty” is a plea or verdict in a criminal trial indicating that the defendant is not responsible for the charged offence. When a defendant enters a plea of “not guilty,” they are asserting their innocence and denying the allegations brought against them. Similarly, a “not guilty” verdict from a judge or jury indicates that the prosecution has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. This verdict results in the defendant being acquitted of the charges and typically means they cannot be retried for the same offence.
- plea of a person who claims not to have committed the crime of which he/she is accused, made in court when arraigned (first brought before a judge) or at a later time set by the court. The choices of what one can plea are: guilty, not guilty, no contest, not guilty by reason of insanity, or incompetent to stand trial.
- verdict after trial by a judge sitting without a jury or by a jury (unanimous decision in all but two states, which allow a verdict by only 10 of 12 jurors), stating that the prosecution has not proved the defendant guilty of a crime or that it believes the accused person was insane at the time the crime was committed. The accused cannot be tried again for the crime charged.
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This glossary post was last updated: 29th March 2024.
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