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In an English court, what's the difference between a person being 'acquitted' part the way through a trial, rather than being found 'not quilty' at the end of the trial?
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'Acquitted and 'not guilty' is the same thing.
In the vast majority of cases, the jury decides at the end.
Sometimes, the decision is technically taken away from the jury during the trial.
This doesn't happen often, but can happen for lots of reasons.
The judge then orders a not guilty verdict.
The result for the defendant is the same - party time.
He's innocent, acquitted, not guilty.
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In Scotland they also have 'Not proven'.
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Thanks Iffy, this is a police led prosecution, so can one assume that nothing further will come of it unless the police consider they have significant new evidence?
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...so can one assume that nothing further will come of it unless the police consider they have significant new evidence?...
Almost certainly, but I would need a few more details.
If the case opened before a jury, but collapsed part-way through, then yes.
Occasionally, charges are 'left on the file', which mean they cannot be proceeded with unless ordered by the court which did the leaving, or a higher court.
It wasn't rape was it?
Rape cases are the most common for collapsing after the prosecution case, at 'half-time' as we call it.
Often the victim's evidence will be poor, can't remember, I was drunk, etc - all said through lots of tears.
The defending barrister then makes a submission that a jury cannot 'safely convict' on the poor evidence it's heard.
If the judge agrees, he orders a not guilty verdict.
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Thanks, the case opened before a jury and this has occured just before the case for the defence. There are other parties accused and the case continues for them. It's not rape.
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I've seen that happen in multi-handers.
The evidence against 'your' defendant turns out to be weak, and his barrister has made a submission there's no case to answer, judge agrees, not guilty verdict in his case, but the case proceeds for the others.
Known as 'getting out of the side door'.
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>
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>> Known as 'getting out of the side door'.
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Doesn't it leave a doubt in the public's mind though? Surely not quite so satisfying as being found unanimously not guilty and emerging through the front door to the acclaim of the waiting multitude?
Just don't forget the Memoirs :)
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...Doesn't it leave a doubt in the public's mind though?...
Probably, although from a reporting point of view the story has to avoid any inference the side door not guilty verdict is somehow inferior to a jury one.
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>> Doesn't it leave a doubt in the public's mind though? Surely not quite so satisfying
>> as being found unanimously not guilty and emerging through the front door to the acclaim
>> of the waiting multitude?
Still doesn't mean they weren't guilty. Likewise, there are some who have been convicted, who didn't do it, although it's considerably more rare because of how the system is skewed to provide that safeguard.
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Acquitted v Not quilty - Iffy
