Legal Definitions - walk

In legal slang, to "walk" means to avoid conviction or to receive a significantly lenient outcome despite being accused of a crime or wrongdoing.

• Example 1: Acquittal Due to Insufficient Evidence

  Imagine a defendant accused of armed robbery. During the trial, the prosecution's star witness recanted their testimony, and the forensic evidence presented was inconclusive. The jury, finding reasonable doubt, returned a verdict of "not guilty."

  This illustrates "walking" because the defendant was acquitted, meaning they were legally cleared of the charges and faced no punishment.

• Example 2: Escaping Severe Punishment Through a Plea Deal

  Consider a high-ranking corporate executive charged with orchestrating a multi-million dollar financial fraud scheme, which typically carries a lengthy prison sentence. However, after extensive negotiations, the executive agreed to a plea deal that involved paying a substantial fine and serving a period of probation, completely avoiding any jail time.

  Here, the executive "walked" because, despite the serious nature of the charges and the potential for severe penalties, they managed to avoid the most significant punishment, which would have been incarceration.

• Example 3: Dismissal Due to a Legal Technicality

  A person was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). However, their defense attorney successfully argued that the arresting officer did not have probable cause to pull over the vehicle in the first place, making the subsequent evidence (like the breathalyzer test) inadmissible. As a result, the judge dismissed the charges.

  In this scenario, the individual "walked" because a legal technicality prevented the prosecution from using key evidence, leading to the dismissal of the case and allowing them to escape any punishment for the alleged offense.