Court
Acquittal
A finding that the prosecution did not prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Understand the words in the room.
Search court, record-relief, immigration, military, firearm-rights, family, driving and trade terms.
58 termsEducational definitions. Exact meaning can change by law and jurisdiction.
Court
Adjudication withheld
A Florida outcome in which a judge withholds a formal adjudication of guilt after a plea or finding.
Court
Arraignment
A hearing where charges are formally presented and a plea is entered.
Court
Certified disposition
A court-certified record showing the official outcome of a charge.
Court
Conviction
A legal judgment of guilt. The definition can change by statute and context.
Court
Disposition
The recorded outcome of a charge, such as dismissal, conviction, acquittal or diversion completion.
Court
Diversion
A program that may resolve a case outside ordinary prosecution when conditions are completed.
Court
Docket
The court’s chronological list of filings, hearings and events in a case.
Court
Nolle prosequi
A prosecutor’s formal decision not to continue a charge at that time.
Court
Plea
A defendant’s formal response to a charge, such as guilty, not guilty or no contest where permitted.
Court
Sentence
The penalty and conditions ordered after conviction, including incarceration, supervision, fines, restitution or treatment.
Record & rights
Clemency
Relief granted by executive authority, which may include a pardon or restoration of specified rights.
Record & rights
Expungement
A legal process affecting access to or treatment of a record.
Record & rights
Pardon
Executive forgiveness that may provide specified relief.
Record & rights
Record restriction
A process limiting public access to qualifying records under a jurisdiction’s rules.
Record & rights
Restoration of rights
A process restoring specified civil rights lost after conviction.
Record & rights
Sealing
A process limiting access to a record while it may remain available to certain agencies or for certain purposes.
Record & rights
Set-aside
A court or statutory process changing the legal treatment or public visibility of an eligible conviction.
Record & rights
Automatic set-aside
Relief applied by operation of law to qualifying records without an individual application.
Firearm rights
Constructive possession
Legal possession based on power or control over an item even when it is not physically in someone’s hand.
Firearm rights
Concealed carry
Carrying a weapon hidden from ordinary observation, as defined by the applicable law.
Firearm rights
Firearm disability
A legal prohibition or restriction on receiving, possessing, transporting or controlling firearms.
Firearm rights
Permitless carry
A state rule allowing certain otherwise-eligible people to carry without a permit in specified circumstances.
Firearm rights
Pistol-free zone
A place where state law restricts certain firearm carry, often with detailed exceptions.
Firearm rights
Prohibited person
A person barred by federal or state law from receiving or possessing firearms due to a listed status or event.
Firearm rights
Specific authority
Relief directed to a particular right rather than a general restoration.
Firearm rights
Weapon
A legally defined category that may include firearms, knives, impact devices or electronic devices depending on the law.
Immigration
A-number
A unique immigration identifier assigned to some noncitizens and used on agency records.
Immigration
Accredited representative
A person authorized through a DOJ-recognized organization to provide specified immigration legal services.
Immigration
Conviction for immigration purposes
A federal immigration-law definition that can include some state outcomes not described locally as convictions.
Immigration
Notice to Appear
A charging document that begins removal proceedings in immigration court.
Immigration
Removal proceedings
Immigration-court proceedings deciding whether a noncitizen may be removed from the United States.
Military
Conduct waiver
Permission for a military service to consider an applicant despite certain conduct or record issues.
Military
Moral waiver
An older informal phrase often used for what current military processes may call a conduct waiver.
Military
MEPS
Military Entrance Processing Station, where applicants complete screening and processing.
Family
Arrears
Past-due support or another court-ordered payment.
Family
Income withholding
Automatic deduction of support from earnings or another income source under an order.
Family
Modification
A formal change to an existing order after the required legal standard and procedure are met.
Family
Parenting time
Court-ordered or agreed time a parent spends with a child; it is distinct from child-support accounting.
Family
Controlling order
In an interstate support case, the order recognized as controlling under applicable rules.
Driving
Hardship license
A restricted driving privilege that may allow specified travel when eligibility and hearing requirements are met.
Driving
Hold
A court or agency block that must be resolved before a license action can be completed.
Driving
Reinstatement
The process of restoring valid driving privileges after required conditions are satisfied.
Driving
SR-22 / FR-44
Insurance filings used in certain states to prove required financial responsibility after specified events.
Trades
Apprenticeship
Paid structured training combining supervised work with classroom or technical instruction.
Trades
Competent person
In OSHA usage, a designated person capable of identifying hazards and authorized to correct them.
Trades
EPA 608
Federal technician certification related to handling regulated refrigerants.
Trades
ELDT
Federal Entry-Level Driver Training requirements for certain first-time CDL and endorsement applicants.
Trades
Journeyperson
A skilled worker who has completed required training or experience for that trade level; licensing terminology varies.
Trades
Lockout/tagout
A controlled procedure for isolating hazardous energy before servicing equipment.
Trades
Occupational license
Government permission required to perform certain work or use a protected title.
Trades
Pre-eligibility review
A licensing-board process, where offered, for reviewing potential background barriers before full training or application.
Trades
Registered apprenticeship
An apprenticeship meeting government registration standards for structured training, wages and credentials.
Trades
Scope of practice
The tasks a license, credential or role is legally and professionally allowed to perform.
General
Waiver
An approved exception to a rule or the intentional giving up of a known right, depending on context.
General
Jurisdiction
A court or agency’s legal authority over a person, place, case or type of issue.
General
Statute
A law enacted by a legislature.
General
Statute of limitations
A deadline for starting a legal action, subject to claim-specific rules and exceptions.