Legal dictionary · Area 5 of 17
Criminal Law & Procedure — EN · ES · IT.
66 terms from Criminal Law & Procedure, each with its Spanish and Italian equivalent and a plain-language definition. Open any term for its own page.
Criminal procedure is built differently on each side of the Atlantic. Spanish-speaking systems and Italy work with an investigating judge or prosecutor-led instrucción/indagini preliminari, and distinctions such as imputado, procesado and acusado, or indagato and imputato, mark stages that U.S. law describes with "suspect" and "defendant". Offence categories (delito/falta, delitto/contravvenzione) do not line up with felony and misdemeanor. Certified translations of criminal records, judgments and police reports — the documents most often requested for immigration and background checks — keep the original label and add the nearest English description.
Felony / Serious crime
ENFelony / Serious crime — A serious criminal offense.
ESCrimen / Delito grave
ITDelitto
Misdemeanor / Petty offense
ENMisdemeanor / Petty offense — A minor criminal offense.
ESContravención / Falta
ITContravvenzione
Accused / Defendant
ENAccused / Defendant — A person charged with a crime.
ESImputado / Acusado
ITImputato
Complainant
ENComplainant — A person who reports or pursues a criminal charge.
ESQuerellante / Denunciante
ITQuerelante / Denunciante
Charge / Indictment
ENCharge / Indictment — A formal accusation of a crime.
ESAcusación / Imputación
ITCapo d'imputazione / Rinvio a giudizio
Arraignment
ENArraignment — The formal reading of charges to the accused.
ESAudiencia de imputación / Indagatoria
ITUdienza preliminare / Contestazione
Arrest
ENArrest — Taking a person into custody on suspicion of a crime.
ESDetención / Arresto
ITArresto
Detention / Custody
ENDetention / Custody — Holding a person in confinement, often before trial.
ESDetención / Prisión preventiva
ITDetenzione / Custodia cautelare
Pre-trial detention
ENPre-trial detention — Imprisonment before and during trial.
ESPrisión preventiva
ITCustodia cautelare in carcere
Bail
ENBail — Security for release of an accused pending trial.
ESFianza / Excarcelación
ITCauzione / Libertà su cauzione
Remand
ENRemand — Returning an accused to custody pending further proceedings.
ESPrisión / Remisión
ITRinvio in custodia
Investigation
ENInvestigation — The official inquiry into a suspected crime.
ESInvestigación / Instrucción
ITIndagini
Search
ENSearch — An authorised examination of a place or person for evidence.
ESAllanamiento / Registro
ITPerquisizione
Seizure
ENSeizure — The taking of property or evidence by authorities.
ESSecuestro / Decomiso
ITSequestro
Warrant
ENWarrant — A judicial authorisation to arrest, search, or seize.
ESOrden judicial / Mandamiento
ITMandato
Arrest warrant
ENArrest warrant — A judicial order authorising an arrest.
ESOrden de detención / captura
ITMandato d'arresto
Search warrant
ENSearch warrant — A judicial order authorising a search.
ESOrden de allanamiento
ITMandato di perquisizione
Indictment / Committal
ENIndictment / Committal — A formal decision to bring an accused to trial.
ESAuto de procesamiento / elevación a juicio
ITRinvio a giudizio
Plea
ENPlea — The accused's formal response to a charge.
ESDeclaración / Alegato del imputado
ITDichiarazione dell'imputato
Guilty / Guilt
ENGuilty / Guilt — Responsibility for committing a crime.
ESCulpable / Culpabilidad
ITColpevole / Colpevolezza
Not guilty / Acquittal
ENNot guilty / Acquittal — A finding that the accused is not criminally liable.
ESAbsolución
ITAssoluzione
Sentence / Penalty
ENSentence / Penalty — The punishment imposed for a crime.
ESPena / Condena
ITPena / Condanna
Imprisonment
ENImprisonment — Punishment by confinement in prison.
ESReclusión / Prisión
ITReclusione / Detenzione
Probation
ENProbation — Supervised release instead of imprisonment.
ESProbation / Suspensión del juicio a prueba
ITSospensione condizionale / Affidamento in prova
Parole / Conditional release
ENParole / Conditional release — Early release from prison under conditions.
ESLibertad condicional
ITLibertà condizionale
Pardon / Clemency
ENPardon / Clemency — Official forgiveness reducing or cancelling punishment.
ESIndulto / Gracia
ITGrazia / Indulto
Statute of limitations (criminal)
ENStatute of limitations (criminal) — The time limit for prosecuting a crime.
ESPrescripción de la acción penal
ITPrescrizione del reato
Intent / Mens rea
ENIntent / Mens rea — The mental element of deliberately committing a crime.
ESDolo / Intención
ITDolo / Elemento soggettivo
Negligence (criminal)
ENNegligence (criminal) — Criminal fault due to carelessness rather than intent.
ESCulpa / Negligencia
ITColpa
Accomplice
ENAccomplice — A person who knowingly assists in a crime.
ESCómplice / Partícipe
ITComplice / Concorrente
Aiding and abetting
ENAiding and abetting — Helping or encouraging the commission of a crime.
ESParticipación criminal
ITConcorso nel reato
Self-defense
ENSelf-defense — Justified use of force to protect oneself or others.
ESLegítima defensa
ITLegittima difesa
Fraud (criminal)
ENFraud (criminal) — Deception causing economic harm for unlawful gain.
ESEstafa / Fraude
ITTruffa
Embezzlement
ENEmbezzlement — Misappropriation of funds entrusted to one's care.
ESMalversación / Defraudación
ITAppropriazione indebita / Peculato
Bribery / Corruption
ENBribery / Corruption — Offering or accepting something to influence official action.
ESCohecho / Soborno / Corrupción
ITCorruzione
Money laundering
ENMoney laundering — Concealing the illegal origin of funds.
ESLavado de dinero / activos
ITRiciclaggio
Assault / Battery
ENAssault / Battery — Causing physical harm or threat to another person.
ESLesiones / Agresión
ITLesioni / Percosse
Homicide / Murder
ENHomicide / Murder — The unlawful killing of a human being.
ESHomicidio
ITOmicidio
Manslaughter
ENManslaughter — Killing without intent, through negligence or recklessness.
ESHomicidio culposo
ITOmicidio colposo
Kidnapping
ENKidnapping — Unlawful seizure and detention of a person.
ESSecuestro / Privación de la libertad
ITSequestro di persona
Perjury
ENPerjury — Lying under oath in a legal proceeding.
ESFalso testimonio / Perjurio
ITFalsa testimonianza
Forgery
ENForgery — Making or altering a document to deceive.
ESFalsificación
ITFalso / Falsificazione
Defamation
ENDefamation — Harming another's reputation by false statements.
ESDifamación / Calumnias e injurias
ITDiffamazione
Contempt of court
ENContempt of court — Disobedience or disrespect toward a court.
ESDesacato
ITOltraggio / Vilipendio alla corte
Recidivism
ENRecidivism — Repeated commission of crimes by the same offender.
ESReincidencia
ITRecidiva
Presumption of innocence
ENPresumption of innocence — The principle that the accused is innocent until proven guilty.
ESPresunción de inocencia
ITPresunzione di innocenza
Reasonable doubt
ENReasonable doubt — The standard of proof required to convict in criminal cases.
ESDuda razonable
ITRagionevole dubbio
Double jeopardy
ENDouble jeopardy — Being tried twice for the same offense.
ESDoble juzgamiento / non bis in idem
ITDivieto di doppio giudizio
Conspiracy
ENConspiracy — An agreement between persons to commit a crime.
ESAsociación ilícita / Conspiración
ITAssociazione per delinquere
Arson
ENArson — The criminal act of deliberately setting fire.
ESIncendio intencional
ITIncendio doloso
Trafficking
ENTrafficking — Illegal trade in persons, drugs or goods.
ESTráfico / Trata
ITTratta / Traffico
Cybercrime
ENCybercrime — Crime committed using computers or networks.
ESDelito informático
ITReato informatico
Restraining order
ENRestraining order — A court order to keep a person away from another.
ESOrden de restricción / protección
ITOrdine di protezione / allontanamento
Witness protection
ENWitness protection — Measures safeguarding witnesses in proceedings.
ESProtección de testigos
ITProtezione dei testimoni
Plea bargain
ENPlea bargain — An agreement reducing charges or sentence for a plea.
ESJuicio abreviado / Acuerdo de pena
ITPatteggiamento
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This page is for general orientation only. It is not legal advice and does not substitute for advice from licensed counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Terminology varies between countries and between civil-law and common-law systems; the equivalents shown here are the most common in cross-border practice.
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