acquittal, in criminal law, acknowledgment by the court of the innocence of the defendant or defendants. Such a judgment may be made by a jury in a trial or by a judge who rules that there is insufficient evidence either for conviction or for further proceedings. An acquittal removes all guilt in law. An acquittal “in fact” occurs when a jury finds the defendant not guilty. An acquittal “in law” occurs through the mere operation of law. For instance, if the principal in a case is acquitted, an accessory also is deemed acquitted in law.
Acquittal has other meanings. In the Middle Ages it was an obligation of an intermediate lord to protect his tenants against interference from his own overlord. The term is also used in contract law to signify a discharge or release from an obligation.