Legal Definitions - incriminate

To incriminate means to show, suggest, or admit that someone is involved in a crime or wrongdoing. It refers to any action, statement, or piece of evidence that points towards a person's guilt or complicity, even if it doesn't definitively prove it.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Physical Evidence at a Crime Scene

  During an investigation into a break-in, forensic experts discover a unique shoe print left in the mud outside the burgled house. This print perfectly matches a pair of shoes owned by a known suspect.

  Explanation: The matching shoe print incriminates the suspect because it provides physical evidence directly linking them to the scene of the crime, strongly suggesting their involvement in the break-in.

• Example 2: A Witness's Testimony

  In a trial for embezzlement, a former colleague testifies that they personally saw the defendant transferring large sums of money from the company account into a personal, unauthorized account on multiple occasions.

  Explanation: The colleague's testimony incriminates the defendant by providing direct eyewitness accounts of actions that constitute the alleged crime, thereby suggesting the defendant's guilt.

• Example 3: A Person's Own Statement (Self-Incrimination)

  When questioned by police about a stolen car, a suspect, without being directly asked, blurts out, "I know I shouldn't have taken it for a joyride, but I was going to bring it back!"

  Explanation: This spontaneous admission incriminates the suspect because their own words directly confess to taking the car without permission, which is an element of the crime of theft or unauthorized use.