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.
A Vermont Motion for Judgment of Acquittal of All Charges is a legal term used in criminal proceedings. It is a formal request made by the defense to the court, seeking a ruling that the defendant should be acquitted of all charges brought by the prosecution. This motion challenges the sufficiency of the evidence presented by the prosecution and argues that no reasonable juror could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In Vermont, similar to other jurisdictions, there are generally two types of motions for judgment of acquittal which can be filed by the defense: 1. Motion for Judgment of Acquittal — Directed Verdict: This type of motion is typically made after the prosecution has presented its case during a trial. The defense argues that the evidence presented by the prosecution is insufficient to support any conviction, and therefore, the court should enter a judgment of acquittal, thereby ending the trial without requiring the defense to present its case. 2. Motion for Judgment of Acquittal — Renewed Motion: If the court denies the initial motion for judgment of acquittal (directed verdict) and the defense proceeds to present its case, this type of motion can be made at the close of all evidence. The defense argues that even after considering all the evidence presented by both sides, no reasonable juror could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The court reviews this renewed motion and decides whether to enter a judgment of acquittal or proceed with the trial. Keywords: Vermont, Motion for Judgment of Acquittal, All Charges, criminal proceedings, defense, prosecution, sufficiency of evidence, reasonable juror, guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, trial, directed verdict, renewed motion.
