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Mrs. Bluezette's Grammar Guide
impeached, indicted, acquitted
OK, you legal eagles, legal talk is the subject of today's Grammar
Corner.
"Impeachment" is the constitutional process that accuses an elected
official of a crime.
The goal is to remove him or her from office.
"Impeachment" involves only the bringing of charges.
After hearings, the House of Representatives may "impeach" the
president.
But the Senate conducts the trial.
The president may be found guilty or innocent of the
"impeachment."
An "indictment" (pronounced in-DITE-ment) is NOT about being
guilty or innocent.
It simply says a crime has been committed and there IS enough
evidence to have a trial.
A grand jury does the "indicting" (pronounced in-DITE-ing).
And it hands up the "indictment" to a judge.
The verdict of a court will be "guilty" or "not guilty."
You'll hear it all the time, but a judge or a jury does NOT find the
accused "innocent."
Because of the nature of our business, the spoken word, Mrs. B
recommends you say a person was "acquitted" rather than found "not
guilty."
You don't want to risk the possibility of being misunderstood by
your viewers.
