Clarifications · 9 answers
Clarifying the language of criminal cases
Precise words protect real people. These answers explain the terms we use and the limits we set ourselves.
Status and outcomes
What is the difference between a suspect, a person charged and a convicted person?
A suspect is someone police are investigating. A charged person has been formally accused by a prosecutor or grand jury. A convicted person has been found guilty by plea or verdict. Each stage requires a higher legal threshold. See From allegation to courtroom finding.
Is an acquittal the same as being found innocent?
No. An acquittal means the prosecution did not prove guilt to the criminal standard. The person remains legally innocent, but the court has not made a separate finding of innocence.
Why do so few cases go to trial?
Most cases end in plea agreements. In U.S. federal courts, a 2019 Pew Research Center analysis found only about 2% of defendants went to trial in 2018.
What does "exonerated" mean?
As used by the National Registry of Exonerations, it means a person convicted of a crime was officially relieved of the consequences after new evidence of innocence emerged.
Evidence
Does a DNA match prove someone committed a crime?
No. DNA can strongly associate a person with a sample, but it does not show how or when the DNA was deposited. It must be considered alongside other evidence. See How investigative leads are tested.
Our standards
Why don't you name people who have only been arrested?
Arrest does not establish guilt, and naming people before charge has caused lasting harm, as the cases of Richard Jewell and Christopher Jefferies show. See our reporting guide.
Do you publish crime scene or autopsy images?
Never. Our images show only public architecture and records environments as context.
Where do your facts come from?
From court judgments and dockets, official inquiry reports, statements by public institutions and, as secondary sources, established news outlets. Read our sourcing principles.
How do I report an error?
Use the correction tool on our Flag Error page or email [email protected] with the page, the error and a public source.