To acquit means to find a defendant in a criminal case not guilty. The decision to exonerate the defendant may be made either by a jury or a judge after trial. A prosecutor must prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A decision to acquit means that the judge or jury had a reasonable doubt as to the defendant's guilt. It may be based on exculpatory evidence or a lack of evidence to prove guilt.
The following form is a complaint that adopts the "notice pleadings" format of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which have been adopted by most states in one form or another.
South Dakota Motion for Judgment of Acquittal of All Charges is a legal document filed by the defense in a criminal case. This motion is typically made after the prosecution has presented its case, and it requests the judge to dismiss all charges against the defendant. The purpose of the motion is to argue that there is insufficient evidence to support a conviction, and that the case should not proceed to the jury. In South Dakota, there are different types of motions for judgment of acquittal that can be filed. These include: 1. Pretrial Motion for Judgment of Acquittal: This motion is made before the trial begins, usually during the preliminary hearing or arraignment. It argues that the charges should be dismissed because there is not enough evidence to establish probable cause or meet the legal standards required for a conviction. 2. Motion for Judgment of Acquittal at the Close of Prosecution's Case: This motion is made after the prosecution has presented its case and rested. It asserts that the evidence presented by the prosecution is insufficient to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It challenges the credibility, relevance, and weight of the evidence. 3. Renewed Motion for Judgment of Acquittal at the Close of All Evidence: If the court denies the initial motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of the prosecution's case, the defense may choose to renew the motion after presenting its case. This motion argues that the totality of the evidence, including the defense's case, still fails to meet the requisite burden of proof. 4. Motion for Judgment of Acquittal Following a Guilty Verdict: This motion is made when the jury returns a guilty verdict, but the defense believes there was a legal error in the proceedings that warrants the charges being dismissed or a new trial. It challenges issues such as jury misconduct, improper jury instructions, or violations of the defendant's constitutional rights. In these motions, specific legal arguments may be made to support the defense's position. Keywords relevant to South Dakota Motion for Judgment of Acquittal may include: insufficient evidence, legal standards, guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, credibility, relevance, weight of evidence, probable cause, motion, charge dismissal, pretrial, post-prosecution, renewed motion, guilty verdict, legal error, and constitutional rights.
