sacramentalis
sacramentalis (sak-r[schwa]-men-tay-lis), n. pl.[Law Latin fr. Latin sacramentum “an oath-taker”] Hist. A compurgator; one who takes an oath swearing to a defendant’s innocence. Pl. sacramentales, (sak-r[schwa]-men-tay-leez).
Search Results for: INNOCENCE
ordeal by fire
An ordeal in which the accused person was forced to hold a piece of hot metal or to walk barefoot across a hot surface, the judgment of guilt or innocence depending on how quickly and cleanly the person’s hands or feet healed. • Typically the person’s hand was bandaged and, upon the bandage’s removal three
sacramentum decisionis
sacramentum decisionis (sak-r[schwa]-men-t[schwa]m di-sizh-ee-oh-nis). [Latin “the oath of decision”] Civil law. The offer by one party to accept the opposing party’s oath as decisive of the issues involved in a lawsuit. Pl. sacramenta decisionis. “The defendant or person accused was … to make oath of his own innocence, and to produce a certain number of
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right against self incrimination
right against self-incrimination. A criminal defendant’s or a witness’s constitutional right — under the Fifth Amendment, but waivable under certain conditions — guaranteeing that a person cannot be compelled by the government to testify if the testimony might result in the person’s being criminally prosecuted. • Although this right is most often asserted during a
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guilt
guilt, n. The fact or state of having committed a wrong, esp. a crime (the state’s burden was to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt). Cf. INNOCENCE.
privilege against self-incrimination
privilege against self-incrimination 〈美〉不自证其罪特权指根据美国宪法第五条修正案及州宪法的类似条款，在任何刑事案件中应根据证据论罪而被告享有不得被强迫自证其罪的特权。该特权仅限于被告可以不提供作为证据的口供，而不适用于诸如笔迹、指纹等物证。任何证人，在被迫召来提供证词时，亦可引用这一特权；但在其自愿作证时，则认为已放弃此特权。尽管此项特权大多在刑事审判中提出，不过任何人亦可在民事、行政、大陪审团及立法程序以「美国第五条修正案作为辩护的理由」〔plead the Fifth〕。此项特权是对抗式刑事审判制度〔accusatorial system〕的核心，与无罪推定〔presumption of innocence〕一起共同要求由国家负担控诉之责〔burden of prosecution〕。该词亦称right against self-incrimination; right to remain silent。 (→self-incrimination; immunity; link-in-chain)
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ordeal
Hist. A primitive form of trial in which an accused person was subjected to a usu. dangerous or painful physical test, the result being considered a divine revelation of the person’s guilt or innocence. • The participants believed that God would reveal a person’s culpability by protecting an innocent person from some or all consequences
leads doctrine
leads doctrine. Tax. In a tax-evasion case, the rule that the government must investigate all the taxpayer’s leads that are reasonably accessible and that, if true, would establish the taxpayer’s innocence, or the government risks having the trial judge presume that any leads not investigated are true and exonerating. [Cases: Internal Revenue 5312.]
burden of proof
burden of proof 证明责任 指当事人为避免不利于己的裁判而提出证据证明其主张的事实并说服事实认定者〔trier of fact〕确信其主张的责任。证据法上的一般规则是提出肯定性主张的一方负证明责任，即「谁主张，谁举证」。所以，在诉讼中证明责任通常首先由原告或控告人〔prosecutor〕承担，但当其提出了充分证据能够证明其主张成立，即确立了表面案件〔prima facie case〕时，证明责任即转移给另一方，但是在刑事诉讼中由于实行无罪推定〔presumption of innocence〕原则，证明被告人有罪的责任由公诉方承担，被告人不承担证明自己有罪或无罪的责任，但就某些事实或主张，被告人仍承担证明责任，如被告人主张自己精神不正常等。在英美证据法理论上，通常认为证明责任包含两个概念，其一为「举证责任」〔burden of going forward with evidence or burden of producing evidence〕，即当事人就自己主张的事实应提供充分证据予以证明的责任。该责任在诉讼过程中可在当事人之间来回转移；其二为「说服责任」〔burden of persuasion〕，即当事人说服事实认定者确信其所提证据指向的事实为真实的责任。依传统观点，说服责任在诉讼的任一阶段都不会由当事人一方转移给另一方。承担证明责任的一方对其主张的证明还必须达到法定的标准，才可使自己免受不利裁判。在不同的案件中该标准也不同。在大多数民事案件中及对某些刑事辩护主张(如精神不正常〔insanity〕)，适用「证据优势」〔preponderance of the evidence〕的标准；在某些民事案件(如关于民事欺诈〔civil fraud〕)中，适用「清楚而令人信服的证明」〔clear and convincing proof〕的标准；而在刑事案件中对被告人有罪的证明则必须达到「排除合理怀疑」〔beyond a reasonable doubt〕的程度。
attest
attest ([schwa]-test), vb. 1. To bear witness; testify (attest to the defendant’s innocence). 2. To affirm to be true or genuine; to authenticate by signing as a witness (attest the will). [Cases: Wills 113. C.J.S. Wills §§ 253–255.] — attestation (a-te-stay-sh[schwa]n), n. — attestative ([schwa]-tes-t[schwa]-tiv), adj.