Not every criminal trial ends in punishment. An acquittal is the formal finding that the prosecution has failed to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in a verdict of not guilty.

An acquittal may come from a jury or from a judge in a bench trial. Once entered, double-jeopardy rules generally bar the government from retrying the same charges. It does not always mean the court declared the defendant innocent in an absolute sense; it means the evidence did not meet the required standard.

Acquittals can rest on weak evidence, successful defenses, or procedural failures. They close the criminal case against the accused on those counts. The record of acquittal protects the individual from further prosecution for the same offense in that jurisdiction.

• Formal finding of not guilty in a criminal case
• Results when proof falls short of the legal standard
• Usually bars retrial on the same charges
• Issued by jury or judge