#Acquitted vs not guilty trial
A plea of Not Guilty is typically made by the defendant before the trial begins. The meaning of the term Not Guilty is two-fold: Firstly, it refers to a defendant’s formal plea before a court denying the prosecution’s charges against him/her secondly, it is the verdict or formal finding by the court in a criminal trial that the defendant is not responsible or legally blameless for the crime with which he/she is charged. However, the ideal way to understand Innocent, particularly to distinguish it from Not Guilty, is to remember that the latter is only a verdict and may not necessarily suggest that the person is in actuality, Innocent. Legally, the term Innocent may allude to a few instances and these may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
For example, a person found Not Guilty of murder in the first degree, but convicted of murder in the second degree. Further, a person may be found Not Guilty of a particular offence but may be found guilty of another. This may be true from a legal perspective but as mentioned above it may not be the actual fact. Some may argue that an acquittal automatically signifies a person’s innocence. In law, the term Innocent is used as a presumption one that benefits the accused in that the defendant is presumed Innocent until proven guilty. Thus, when a person is found Not Guilty by the court, that person may either be genuinely Innocent of the charge or he/she may have committed the crime, but there was insufficient evidence to prove it. This verdict does not necessarily imply that the defendant is Innocent of the crime. Not Guilty verdict simply suggests that the prosecution was not able to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt. Given that, the prosecution must prove their case beyond reasonable doubt to convict the defendant. From a legal perspective, however, the term may denote several different connotations that ultimately tends to blur the distinction between Innocent and Not Guilty.Īs mentioned before, Not Guilty is a verdict given by a judge and/or jury at the end of a criminal trial. Such a view is based on the knowledge of that person’s moral beliefs and values. This means a person whose character is not known for committing crimes or viewed as someone not capable of inflicting harm. In general, when the term Innocent is used, it is usually with reference to someone’s life, character, personality, or disposition. The dictionary defines Innocent as the absence of guilt and acting in good faith without any knowledge of objections, defects, or illegal circumstances. Its connotation is broader and encompasses a moral, philosophical, and religious aspect to it. Innocent, on the other hand, does not refer to the finding of Not Guilty. Simply put, it represents one type of verdict or decision given at the conclusion of a criminal trial. The term Not Guilty is relatively easy to understand. The terms are not uncommon and we are somewhat acquainted with them. However, this is a mistake, albeit a fair one. Prima facie, it may appear that the two terms are synonymous and share the same meaning. The terms not guilty and innocent are not uncommon and we are somewhat acquainted with them but, when someone asks what is the difference between not guilty and innocent, it becomes somewhat of a dilemma for many of us.
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