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not guilty legal definition
noun
- A determination by a jury that the evidence is insufficient to convict the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.
- A defendantÂ’s plea in court denying the prosecutionÂ’s charges.
not guilty by reason of insanity
A jury verdict or plea that
acknowledges that the defendant committed the crime but states that he or she
was not responsible for his or her actions by reason of a mental disease or
defect, and so could not have formed the requisite mens rea, and therefore, is not
guilty.