Acquittal Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Acquittal, written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Acquittal?

n. under criminal law practices the absolution of a party charged with a crime or misdemeanor is acquittal. Acquittals could be “in fact” and “in law”. Former is when the trial results in the person being not guilty; whereas the latter occurs when the person is merely an accessary, and the principal has been acquitted.