Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: NOT FOUND
Definition: When a group of people called a grand jury looks at evidence to decide if someone should be charged with a crime, they may say "not found" if they don't have enough evidence to say the person did something wrong. This is like saying "we don't know" or "we can't say for sure." It's different from saying "true bill," which means they do have enough evidence to charge someone with a crime.
Definition: The term "not found" is used on a bill of indictment when the grand jury does not have enough evidence to support a true bill. This means that the case cannot proceed to trial.
For example, if a grand jury is presented with evidence of a crime but does not find enough evidence to support a true bill, they may return a verdict of "not found." This means that the accused person cannot be tried for that particular crime.
The term "not found" is often used interchangeably with "ignoramus" and "no bill." All three terms indicate that the grand jury has not found enough evidence to support a true bill.