Legal Definitions - exonerate

Exonerate (verb)

To exonerate means to officially clear someone of blame or responsibility for a wrongdoing, or to free property from a financial claim or burden.

Here are some examples illustrating how this term is used:

• Example 1: Clearing from Criminal Blame

  Imagine a situation where a person is wrongly accused of a crime, such as a bank robbery. After months of investigation, new forensic evidence, like DNA from the actual perpetrator found at the scene, conclusively proves that the accused individual was not involved. This new evidence would serve to exonerate the wrongly accused person, officially clearing them of all charges and the associated blame.

• Example 2: Freeing from Professional Responsibility

  Consider a project manager who is initially held responsible for a significant delay in a large construction project. However, an internal review later reveals that the delay was caused by unforeseen geological issues at the construction site, which were beyond the project manager's control and could not have been predicted with standard surveys. The findings of this review would exonerate the project manager, freeing them from the responsibility and professional blame for the project's setback.

• Example 3: Removing a Property Burden

  Suppose a small business owner takes out a business loan, using their commercial property as collateral. This creates a lien on the property, meaning the bank has a legal claim against it until the loan is repaid. Once the business owner successfully pays off the entire loan amount, they will have exonerated their property from the bank's lien, removing that financial burden and claim against the asset.