acquittal n : a judgment of not guilty [ant: conviction]

Acquittal \Ac*quit"tal\, n.
1. The act of acquitting; discharge from debt or obligation; acquittance.
2. (Law) A setting free, or deliverance from the charge of an offense, by verdict of a jury or sentence of a court. --Bouvier.

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In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the innocence of the accused, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi. Under the rules of double jeopardy and autrefois acquit, an acquittal operates to bar the retrial of the accused for the same offense, even if new evidence surfaces that further implicates the accused. The effect of an acquittal on criminal proceedings is the same whether it results from a jury verdict, or whether it results from the operation of some other rule that discharges the accused.

Scots law has two acquittal verdicts: not guilty and not proven. However a verdict of "not proven" does not give rise to the double jeopardy rule.

In England and Wales, which share a common legal system, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 creates an exception to the double jeopardy rule, by providing that retrials may be ordered if "new and compelling evidence" comes to light after an acquittal for a serious crime. Also the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 permits a "tainted acquittal" to be set aside in circumstances where it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that an acquittal has been obtained by violence or threats of violence to a witness or juror/s.

• Prosecution appeals Japan lawmaker's acquittal - Yahoo Finance
  TOKYO (AP) -- Prosecuting lawyers on Wednesday appealed a lower court acquittal of Japanese political power broker Ichiro Ozawa in a funding scandal. The appeal prolongs the veteran lawmaker's status as criminal defendant for months, if not years. Read more on this news related to 'Acquittal'
• Amy Senser gets hearing on motion for new trial, acquittal - Marketplace.publicradio.org
  ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Hennepin County judge has set a May 31 hearing on Amy Senser's motion for a new trial or acquittal. Earlier this month, a Hennepin County jury convicted the wife of former Vikings player Joe Senser of two of three felony ... Read more on this news related to 'Acquittal'
• Hundreds protest ex-officer's oppression acquittal - Times Union
  HOUSTON (AP) — More than 200 people marched in front of the Harris County criminal courthouse in Houston on Thursday to protest the acquittal of a former Houston police officer in the alleged beating of a teenage burglary suspect. The protesters say ... Read more on this news related to 'Acquittal'