Acquittal

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.