Legal terms

Crimes

- assault / physical attack resulting in bruises or other injuries(Körperverletzung)
- atrocity / extremely cruel and mean act (Grausamkeit)
- burglary / act of entering a building illegally and stealing things (Einbruch)
- to commit a crime / to carry out a crime (Eine Straftat verüben)
- conspiracy / secret agreement or plan to commit an illegal act together (Verschwörung)
- felonious act / violent criminal deed (verbrecherische Tat)
- felony / a serious crime (Kapitalverbrechen)
- felony murder / a killing that occurred during the commission of a serious crime and which, though not premeditated, is punishable like first-degree murder (Mord während eines Kapitalverbrechens)
- first-degree murder / act of killing a person intentionally and with premeditation
- holdup / robbery, normally done by using a gun (Raub)
- homicide / act of killing a person(either with or without premeditation) (Mord)
- manslaughter / act of killing a person without planning to do so (Totschlag)
- misdemeanour / a less serious misdeed (ein weniger ernstes Delikt)
- offence / illegal act, violation of existing laws or rules (Verbrechen,Straftat)
- robbery / act of stealing by using violence or threats (Raub)
- theft / act of stealing s.th. (Diebstahl)Criminals

- accomplice / partner in a crime (Komplize/in)
- burglar / s.o. who breaks into houses and steals things (Einbrecher)
- conspirator / s.o. who together with other plans illegal deeds (Verschwörer)
- convict / criminal serving a prison sentence (Straftgefangene/r)
- dealer / s.o. who sells illegal drugs ((Drogen)Dealer)
- gangster / member of a gang or of organized crime (Verbrecher)
- juvenile delinquent / young, under-age criminal (jugendlicher Krimineler)
- murderer / s.o. who kills a person intentionally (Mörder)
- offender / s.o. who commits a crime (Straftäter)
- perpetrator / s.o. who does s.th. evl or who breaks the law (Straftäter)
- suspect / s.o. who is believed to be guilty of a crime (Verdächtige/r)
- thief / s.o. who steals money or other things (Dieb/in)

Legal system

- judicial / having to do with the law, jurisdiction, a judge or a trial (gerichtlich)
- jurisdiction / authority of a law court, a judge etc. take legal decisions (richterliche Entscheidungen)
- justice / the law in general as well as the legal system including law courts and trials; fiar and just treatment (Gerechtigkeit)
- a law / a rule introduced by the parliament of a state or country (ein Gesetz)
- the law / the complete system of laws (das Gesetz)
- legal / connected with the law; in accordance with the law (legal)
- legislation / act of making and passing laws (Gesetzgebung)

Courtroom details

- bench / raised desk for the judge (Richterpult)
- jury box / enclosed area with the seats for the jurors (Geschworenen Bank)
podium desk on which pieces of evidence can be displayed Podium
witness stand place for the witnesses while they are being crossexamined Zeugenstand

People in the courtroom

bailiff an official who keeps order in the courtroom Gerichtsvollzieher
client s.o. who is represented or defended by a lawyer Klient
counsel defense attorney Anwalt
court clerk an official who performs the regular business of the court Gerichtsekretär/in
court guard a security officer with police authority Gerichtsbeamter mit polizeilicher Autorität
court officer official responsible for the administration of the court; here: court guard Gerichtsbeamter mit polizeilicher Autorität
court reporter s.o. who writes - normally in shorthand – the minutes of the trial, i.e who writes down everything that is said during the trial Gerichtsmitschreiber
court stenographer court reporter Gerichtsstenograph/in
defendant s.o. accused of a crime and on trial in a law court Angeklagter
defense the defense attorney and her/his assistants Verteidigung
defense attorney lawyer who defends the accused person in a trial Rechtsanwalt
district attorney chief prosecutor in a district or city Rechtsanwalt in einem Bezirk
judge public official who presides over a trial and who decides what punishment of the accused person should be Richter
juror member of the jury Geschworene/r
jury group of twelve persons selected by the court before the beginning of the trial; they consider the facts presented during the trial and decide whether the accused person is guilty or innocent die Geschworenen
jury foreman the speaker of the jury Geschworenensprecher
lawyer general term for s.o. who is trained and qualified to advise people about the law, to represent them in legal affairs and in trials and to write legal documents Anwalt
prosecution attorney prosecutor Staatsanwalt
prosecution the prosecutor and her/his assistants Staatsanwaltschaft
prosecutor lawyer who officially accuses a person of a crime in a law court Staatsanwalt
U.S. marshall representative of the federal police force; only present in a trial when specific police protection is necessary U.S marschall
witness s.o. who has seen a crime and can inform police or law court about it Zeuge/in

Courtroom procedures

to accuse s.o. of s.th. to say that s.o.has done s.th. wrong or illegal jmd. beschuldigen
to acquit s.o. to declare that s.o. is not guilty of what he/she is accused of freisprechen
to adjourn to interrupt a court session unterbrechen(in einem gerichtlichem Verfahren)
allegation statement made without proof Behauptung
to appeal to put forward a formal protest against a court decision and ask for a new trial Berufung einlegen
to charge s.o. with to accuse s.o. of jmd. anklagen
to convict s.o. to prove that s.o. is guilty jmd. überführen
cross-examination intensive questioning of defendant and witnesses by the prosecution and the defense Kreuzverhör
to establish contradiction to contradict in a formal way Widerspruch
inquiry official investigation Ermittlung
interrogation intensive questioning about a specific matter of event Verhör
investigation official examination of crime or misdemeanour Untersuchung, Ermittlung
jury selection act of choosing the jurors in a law court hearing before the opening of a trial Geschworenen Auswahl
oath act of swearing; formal promise to tell the truth Eid
plea official statement in a law court in which the defendant says whether he or she is guilty or not guilty Geständnis
to plead guilty/not guilty to state in a trial that you are guilty/innocent sich schuldig/nicht schuldig bekennen
to reconvene to continue the court session after a reak
to release s.o. to let s.o. go free jmd. freilassen
to return a verdict (by the jury) to announce a decision whether s.o. is guilty or innocent Ein Urteil vergeben
to rule (by the judge) to officially decide entscheiden
to sentence s.o. to s.th. to give s.o. a certain punishment eine Bestrafung vergeben
to swear in to have s.o. promise formally to tell the truth schwören
to take the stand to go to the witness in a law court in den Zeugenstand gehen
trial formal examination in a law court if s.o. has committed a crime or not gerichtliches Verfahren
to try s.o. to put s.o. on trial jmd: vors Gericht bringenn

Standard courtroom phrases

admissible acceptable; which may be introduced in court zulässig
the defense (the prosecution) rest the defense (the prosecution) has no more questions to ask or statements to make Keine weitern Fragen
leading (question) suggesting by the choice of words or the structure of the question what the answer should be beeinflussen
Objection! I think the prosecutor’s(or defense attorney’s) question is not admissible unfair Einspruch
overruled (objection) rejected; not accepted Abgewiesen
sustained (objection) accepted; supported Statgegeben
Your honor official address of the judge during a trial Euer Ehren

Miscellaneous

bail sum of money that is paid to allow a suspect to stay out of jail before the trial Kaution
circumstantial evidence evidence consisting of details that strongly suggest s.th. but not prove it Indizien
evidence facts and objects that strongly influence you in your belief s.th. is ture Beweismaterial
parole reduction of the time of imprisonment because of good behaviour Entlassung(auf Bewährung,)
redress compensation; especially by payment of a sum of money, for harm or an unjust treatment you have suffered Schadensersatz
sentence punishment given by a judge at the end of a trial Strafe , Urteil
verdict / jury decision at the end of a trial / Urteil

By Chri