Criminal Defense Terms and Definitions

Fourth Amendment The 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects every person against unreasonable search and seizure by government officials. Abstract of record A short, abbreviated form of the case as found in the record. Miranda rule The rule, pronounced in Miranda v. Arizona, that confessions are inadmissible in a criminal prosecution if the police do not advise the suspect in custody of certain rights before questioning. Search warrant An order issued by a judge or magistrate commanding a sheriff, constable, or other officer to search a specified location. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Methods of resolving disputes outside of official court proceedings. These methods include mediation arbitration, and conciliation. Burglary The unlawful breaking into or entering of a building or dwelling with the intent to commit a serious crime or theft. Allegation The assertion, declaration, or statement of a party to an action, made in a pleading, establishing what the party expects to prove. Fifth Amendment Among other rights, the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees that a person cannot be compelled to present self-incriminating testimony in a criminal (or juvenile) proceeding. Restitution Court-ordered payment to restore goods or money to the victim of a crime by the offender. Bench warrant An order issued by the court for the arrest of a person

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	Did You Know?
	Res Ipsa Loquitur - Literally, "a thing that speaks for itself." In tort law, the doctrine which holds a defendant guilty of negligence without an actual showing that he or she was negligent. Its use is limited in theory to cases in which the cause of the plaintiff's injury was entirely under the control of the defendant, and the injury presumably could have been caused only by negligence.