1. A .......... is a person who accuses someone or some faction of a crime or injustice and takes legal action against that individual or group.

2. When someone commits a crime, he/she is first charged with an offense and then he/she is .......... in front of a judge or jury. This means that the legal matter is investigated and then presented and decided upon in a trial.

3. When a defendant, who is charged with a serious offence goes to court, a selected panel of .......... will listen to the proceedings and make a decision about the verdict regarding the case they heard. Usually, there are twelve members who take an oath to review the matter, under careful consideration, before deciding on a verdict.

4. If a person who is convicted of a crime cannot afford to hire defense counsel for themselves, an attorney who works for the court system will be .......... to the case free of charge.

5. However, some people, who are charged with crimes and have to go to court, can afford their own defense .......... . These are lawyers who are hired to represent the defendants in trials.

6. Sarah was convicted of a crime and was sentenced to three years in jail. Once admitted into the prison, she became an .......... . This is a person who is confined to a prison or mental hospital for a specified period of time decided upon by a legal system.

7. That serial killer was sentenced to .......... in prison without parole. This means that he will spend the rest of his existence in prison without the possibility of a conditional release at some point in the future.

8. Ray was charged and convicted on an offense when he was a young man. While he has in prison serving his sentence, the court system found that he was innocent of all charges so he was given a .......... as a result. This means that he was excused and relieved of all previous charges and convictions.

9. A .......... is someone who is injured or killed by someone else or suffers as a result of some other tragic circumstance or incident.

10. When a defendant, who is accused of crime, goes to trial, he/she must enter a .......... before the trial commences. This is a response, regarding the criminal charge, that an accused party must state in front of a judge.