Real Life: Criminal Justice System (5)

A ......... is a person who accuses someone or some faction of a crime or injustice and takes legal action against that individual or group.
defendant
prisoner
plaintiff
offender

When someone commits a crime, he/she is first charged with an offense and then he/she is ......... in front of a judge or jury. This means that the legal matter is investigated and then presented and decided upon in a trial.
tried
torn
did
pushed

When a defendant, who is charged with a serious offence goes to court, a selected panel of ......... will listen to the proceedings and make a decision about the verdict regarding the case they heard. Usually, there are twelve members who take an oath to review the matter, under careful consideration, before deciding on a verdict.
shoplifters
jurors
pardons
inmates

If a person who is convicted of a crime cannot afford to hire defense counsel for themselves, an attorney who works for the court system will be ......... to the case free of charge.
convicted
repealed
cautioned
assigned

However, some people, who are charged with crimes and have to go to court, can afford their own defense .......... These are lawyers who are hired to represent the defendants in trials.
attorneys
victims
jury
judge

Sarah was convicted of a crime and was sentenced to three years in jail. Once admitted into the prison, she became an .......... This is a person who is confined to a prison or mental hospital for a specified period of time decided upon by a legal system.
inmate
accessory
appellate
verdict

That serial killer was sentenced to ......... in prison without parole. This means that he will spend the rest of his existence in prison without the possibility of a conditional release at some point in the future.
life
soul
serious
final

Ray was charged and convicted on an offense when he was a young man. While he was in prison serving his sentence, the court system found that he was innocent of all charges so he was given a ......... as a result. This means that he was excused and relieved of all previous charges and convictions.
pardon
plea
caution
stop

A ......... is someone who is injured or killed by someone else or suffers as a result of some other tragic circumstance or incident.
juror
inmate
victim
offender

When a defendant, who is accused of crime, goes to trial, he/she must enter a ......... before the trial commences. This is a response, regarding the criminal charge, that an accused party must state in front of a judge.
plea
party
bargain
pardon