11/05/2026
Legal language can make a stressful situation even harder to follow. Here’s what four common courtroom terms mean:
▪️Arraignment: a court appearance where the charges are formally presented and a plea is typically entered
▪️Acquittal: a finding of not guilty at trial
▪️Bench trial: a trial decided by a judge instead of a jury
▪️Conviction: a guilty plea or finding that results in a judgment
One of the most common things people ask us is whether being charged means they’ve been convicted. It doesn’t. A charge is an allegation, and the case still has to move through the legal process.
Save this post, and contact us at granadoslaw.com/contact with questions about your specific case.
This post is general education, not legal advice.