murder conviction
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun 1. A legal judgment declaring a person guilty of the crime of murder: A "murder conviction" is the formal outcome of a criminal trial where a defendant has been found guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, of unlawfully killing another person with malice aforethought.
Usage
- A "murder conviction" is a specific type of criminal conviction. It is the result of a successful prosecution by the state.
- It is used in legal, journalistic, and general contexts to describe the status of a person found guilty of murder.
- It often carries implications for sentencing, such as life imprisonment or, in some jurisdictions, the death penalty.
Examples
- The evidence was overwhelming, leading to a murder conviction.
- After a lengthy trial, the jury returned a murder conviction.
- He is appealing his murder conviction, claiming new evidence has been found.
- The prosecutor sought a murder conviction in the first degree.
Advanced Usage
- "To secure/obtain a murder conviction": This phrase is used from the perspective of the prosecution, meaning to successfully argue a case to the point where the defendant is found guilty of murder.
- The district attorney's office worked for months to secure a murder conviction.
- "To overturn a murder conviction": This refers to a higher court reversing the guilty verdict, often due to legal errors or new evidence.
- The appellate court overturned the murder conviction after finding the trial was unfair.
Variants and Related Words
- Conviction (n.): The general act of finding a person guilty of a crime. "Murder conviction" is a subset of this.
- Murder (n.): The unlawful killing itself. The "murder conviction" is the legal judgment for this crime.
- Homicide conviction (n.): A broader legal term for a conviction of killing another person, which can include murder and manslaughter.
Synonyms
- Guilty verdict for murder
- Homicide conviction (in a broader sense)
Related Phrases
- "To face a murder conviction": To be at risk of being found guilty of murder in a court of law.
- If the trial goes badly, he could face a murder conviction.
- "To have a murder conviction on one's record": To have been legally judged guilty of murder, which becomes a permanent part of one's criminal history.
- Having a murder conviction on his record made it impossible to find a job.