Corroborating witness is a person whose testimony supports or confirms the testimony already given by someone in a current case. A corroborating witness supporting a testimony made by a party is an essential requirement in certain types of cases, such as an action for divorce in some states.
For Example:
Credibility is the capacity for being believed; the quality that renders something (testimony, evidence, a witness, etc.) worthy of belief; believability.
[Last reviewed in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Criminal forfeiture is an in personam proceeding brought by the criminal prosecution against an offender, resulting in the forfeiture of the offender’s property, assets, and proceeds directly or indirectly obtained from the criminal activity.
Criminal insanity refers to a mental illness or disease that makes it impossible for a defendant to know they were committing a crime or to understand that their actions are wrong. A defendant found to be criminally insane can assert an insanity defense.
Criminal intent, also known as mens rea, refers to the mental state required to convict a party of a crime. Along with a criminal act, or the actus reus, criminal intent is one of the fundamental aspects of criminal law.
Criminal justice is an umbrella term that refers to the laws, procedures, institutions, and policies at play before, during, and after the commission of a crime. As a modern concept, criminal justice expresses two central ideas:
See: cross examination.
[Last reviewed in January of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
