ADMF

ASF

Admit to a Finding: admission by defendant that criminal charges are true or that there is sufficient evidence that a judge or jury could find such facts true.   Court may either continue the case without a finding for a period of time (see CWOF) or enter a finding of guilty.  Also known as admission to sufficient facts.

APP

Appeal:   a resort to a higher court for the purpose of obtaining a review of a lower court's decision and reversal of the lower court's judgment. This may also refer to when a defendant, having been convicted in a jury-waived session in the district court, was able to appeal his case and to obtain a six person jury trial under the old de novo system.

APP WD

Appeal Withdrawn: when a defendant withdraws his/her appeal to a higher court.

B

Bail: a monetary or other form of security given to ensure the appearance of the defendant at every stage of the proceedings. The court may as a condition of bail order the defendant to be supervised on pretrial probation and agree to certain conditions.

BF

Brought Forward: when defense or prosecutor moves to advance the case prior to the date previously set for hearing or trial.

BO or BOGJ

Bound Over: when probable cause is found to exist at a preliminary hearing, the court directs that the case be bound over for action by the grand jury.

BOF

Balance of Fine: amount of fine due set by court.

C

Continued: court will continue case for another date for hearing, trial, etc.

CASP

Community Alcohol Safety Program: refers to a condition of probation ordered by the court usually where the charge is first offense of operating under the influence.

CBF

Case Brought Forward: when defense counsel or prosecutor moves to advance the case prior to date previously set for hearing/trial by the court.

CC

Court Costs: costs imposed by the court.

CCI

Court Costs Included: see above.

CMNTY SRV

Community Service: condition of bail or probation ordered by the court which includes a specific period of hours of service to the community.

CMTD* (OR COM)

Committed; incarcerated

CMUT

Commuted: the substitution of a lesser penalty or punishment for a greater one. Sentences can only be commuted by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.

CONC*

Concurrent: sentences to be served at the same time or to run together. 

CONS*

Consecutive: sentences to be served one after another.

CWOF or CWF

Continued without a finding: not considered a conviction. The court allows the defendant to "save" his record and not have a guilty finding entered as long as he completes a period of probation without further criminal charges and complies with the terms of probation. Most often occurs where the defendant has admitted to sufficient facts (see above).

DEL

Delinquent: a child between the ages of 7 and 17 who violates any city ordinance, town by-law or commits a crime against the commonwealth.   Upon a finding of delinquency, the judge may commit the juvenile to the custody of DYS until his/her 18^th birthday, or until his/her 21^st birthday if after a jury trial the court finds that his/her release poses a danger to the public.

DF

Default: failure by the defendant to appear in court during criminal case; a warrant will be entered for his/her arrest.

DISCH

Discharged: released from supervision of the court.

DISM

Dismissed:   the court may dismiss a case for various legal reasons. The commonwealth has the remedy of appeal if a case is dismissed over its objection.

DRC

Dismissed at Request of Complainant: refers to criminal charges being dismissed based upon the victim's assertion to the court that he/she wishes these charges to be dismissed.

DRD

Dismissed Request Defense: in MA, the prosecution must agree to dismissal of criminal charges against the defendant; the court may not on its own dismiss criminal charges based upon the request of the defense.

DWOP

Dismissed Without Prejudice: the Commonwealth may file new complaint upon additional evidence or witness coming forward.

DYS

Department of Youth Services: state agency that juveniles are committed to until the ages of 18 or 21, respectively, upon finding of delinquency or adjudication as   Youthful Offender by the court.

DY

Day(s): may refer to number of days the defendant was held awaiting trial as being served; or period of sentence following finding of guilt.

EXTN

Extended: continued for a period of additional time.

F&A* (OR F/A)

From & After indicates a sentence to be served consecutively to another sentence   (not concurrent).

FEE

Fee: cost charged by court.

FILE

Case placed on file by court and disposes of case without the defendant having offered any admission to the criminal charges; although the case has not been dismissed, the case is placed on file which allows the prosecutor to move to reopen the case in the future.

FILE NF

Filed No Finding: a defendant's original plea is "not guilty" and the court may dispose of case with the Commonwealth's consent and place it on file. This does not prevent the Commonwealth from moving to reopen the case in the future.

FINE*

Fine: amount set by statute that defendants are required to pay based upon crimes charged and committed.

FJ

First Instance Jury Trial: formerly referred to de novo system in which a defendant could have a bench trial and then if convicted could appeal the trial to a jury, or waive the bench trial and go straight to the jury.

F&NW

Forthwith & Not Withstanding: refers to sentence to be served immediately.

FPA

File Pending Apprehension

FROM/AFT*

From & After (not concurrent): see above.

FRTH

Forthwith: court may order defendant to pay fines or monies owed immediately.

G*

Guilty: conviction of criminal charge; a finding by judge or jury beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant committed crime(s) charged by the Commonwealth.

G FILED*

Guilty filed: conviction of criminal charge without a period of incarceration or probation.

GJ

Grand Jury: body of people (usually 23) summoned to inform on crimes committed within its jurisdiction and to indict persons of crimes when it has been presented with sufficient evidence to warrant holding a person for trial.

HC or HOC*

House of Correction: county facility for holding inmates on bail or when sentenced to a period of incarceration. The maximum sentence is 2½ years.

HWB

Held Without Bail: finding by courts that no conditions or monies will ensure the return of the person for every stage of the criminal proceeding. Also called pretrial detention.

IND or INDICT

Indictment: a formal written accusation drawn up and returned by a grand jury (GJ) charging one or more persons with a crime. Indictments in adult cases are tried in Superior Court.

INDF

Indefinitely: Prior to 1994, a court could give a defendant an indefinite sentence to the state reformatory, with parole eligibility set by the Parole Board. This was abolished in 1994.

JD

Jurisdiction declined: district court may decline jurisdiction over a case in order that it will be handled in the superior court. Also referred to as Juris Dec.

JT

Jury Trial: the defendant has a constitutional right to be tried by a jury of his peers (6 person in district court, 12 persons in superior court with two alternates in both courts). In criminal cases the jury must unanimously find that the defendant committed the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt.

JURIS DEC

Jurisdiction Declined: please refer to JD above.

JUV COMP D

Juvenile Complaint Dismissed: this may occur when a defendant has been indicted as a Youthful Offender and the case proceeds in Juvenile Court as YO case and not as a juvenile case.

LIFE

Life:   a defendant serving a life sentence is eligible for parole after 15 years, except for life sentences for 1^st degree murder which are life without parole.

MT (or MIS)

Mistrial: order by judge terminating trial before conclusion; generally a new trial will then occur.

NDEL

Not Delinquent:   See Not Guilty; entered in juvenile court.

NF

No Finding

NG

Not guilty: finding by judge or jury that the evidence presented by the Commonwealth did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crimes as charged.

NOB

No Bill: when the grand jury declines to indict, it returns a "no bill of indictment."

NOLO

Nolo contendere: Latin translation is " I do not wish to contend"; formerly used in the Commonwealth in which a defendant enters a plea in a criminal proceeding who does not admit guilt but states that he will offer no defense against the charges. The defendant may then be declared guilty, yet retain the right to deny the validity of the finding in related proceedings.

NOS

Notice of Surrender: defendant has been given written notice by the probation department that the probation officer intends to seek usually a revocation of probation and an imposition of a custodial sentence.

NP

Nolle Prosequi (or Nol Prossed): motion by the Commonwealth to dismiss charges as if they were never brought in the first place because of insufficient evidence.

NPC

No Probable Cause: finding by court that there is insufficient evidence to believe that a crime has occurred or that the defendant committed a crime.

PARD

Pardoned:   conditional release under supervision by the parole board;  a pardon can only be granted by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.

PC

Probable Cause: Finding by a judge that there is sufficient evidence to believe that a crime has occurred or that the defendant has committed a crime, in order to bind a case over from the district court to superior court for hearing.

PD (or &PD)

Paid

PG

Plea of Guilty: admission by defendant to criminal charges and waiver of right to jury or bench trial.

PROB

Probation: the court may order the defendant to be supervised by the probation department with certain conditions and/or programs to be completed during a specific period of time; this may be following a period of incarceration, with a suspended sentence, or straight probation.

PROB EXTN

Probation Extended: court may extend the period of probation that the defendant has been ordered to complete; this may be in order to have additional time to complete community service, a program or upon a finding of a violation of probation, the court may extend the period of probation rather than order the defendant to serve a period of incarceration.

PROC ST

Proceedings Stayed

PROG

Program: usually refers to a condition of probation that the defendant has been ordered to complete, and may include completion of   alcohol safety awareness program, anger management program or batterer's treatment program, for example.

PTP

Pre-Trial Probation: as a condition of bail or release, the court may order the defendant to report to probation prior to the case being resolved.

REM

Removed: usually refers to the term of removing a case from a lower court to a higher court.

REST

Restitution: amount of monies ordered by the court that the defendant has been ordered   to pay as a condition of the sentence.

RMT (or REMIT)

Remitted: refers to when the court does not require the defendant to pay court costs or fines due to indigency or other reasons.

ROR

Released on Recognizance: defendant is not required to post monies to the court to ensure his/her return during the course of the proceedings and instead is released without the requirement of posting bail money.

R/R

Revise and Revoke Sentence: post-conviction remedy of defendant asking the court to change his/her original sentence; sentencing judge may upon certain findings, revoke original sentence and order new sentence or deny the motion.

RSVD

Revised:   refers usually to sentencing at the appellate level.

SDP

Sexually Dangerous Person: formal adjudication as a sexually dangerous person. Pursuant to G.L. c. 123A, s. 14, if after a trial an individual is found to be a SDP, such person shall be committed to the treatment center for an indeterminate period of a minimum of one day and a maximum of such person's natural life until discharged pursuant to the provisions of section 9.

SENT

Sentence: after finding by judge of jury on criminal charges, or offer of plea by defendant, the court may sentence a defendant to a period of incarceration (either committed or suspended) and/or probation and other terms.

SF

Surfine: additional fine required by statute associated with specific crimes.

SFI

Surfine Included

SFN

Suspended Fine

SP

Supervised Probation

SPS*

Split Sentence: After a finding of guilty or as part of a plea bargain, a defendant may be ordered to serve a period of incarceration and the balance on probation.

SS*

Suspended Sentence: when period of incarceration is not ordered to be served but "suspended" during the period of probation; if the defendant successfully completes the probationary period, he/she will not be ordered to serve the sentence (or period of incarceration).

SS RVK

Suspended Sentence Revoked: see SS; this is when due to violation of probation or further criminal activity, a defendant may be ordered to serve the sentence that had not been imposed but suspended.

STAY

Stay of Order of Sentence: judicial order abeying the period of incarceration for a specific time.

SUMM

Summons: a mandate issued in lieu of arrest requiring the defendant's appearance in criminal court where he/she may be named to appear to answer to criminal charges; or as a mandate requiring an individual to appear as a witness at a trial or hearing.

SUP

Support: refers to entry of order of child support in cases of paternity or formerly illegitimacy in criminal court.

SURR

Surrendered: refers to having a defendant returned to court; usually refers to defendant on probation and having new criminal activity.

SURR DEF

Surrendered on Default: brought to court to answer to charges of having not appeared in court on date required.

TB

True Bill: return by the grand jury on one ore more indictments holding the defendant on criminal charges; see indictment.

TBPD

To Be Paid: refers to court costs, fines or restitution.

TD (T&D)

Terminated and Discharged: refers to termination of supervised probation and defendant being discharged from probation.

TERM

Terminated: refers to termination of supervised probation.

VAC

Vacated: usually refers to the removal of default entered on an individual's criminal record.

VN

Violation of Probation Notice: written notice by probation of terms that defendant has allegedly violated; due process rights attach at hearing that will be scheduled.

VOP

Violation of Probation Finding:   finding following a hearing before judge concerning whether the defendant has violated the terms of his probation. As a result of a finding, that a defendant is in violation, a judge may revoke a CWOF and enter a guilty, impose committed time, or extend the term of probation.

VWF

Victim Witness Fund: statutory fund established. Depending upon whether the defendant is charged with a felony or misdemeanor, he is assessed certain fines that must be paid into the victim witness fund.

WAR

Warrant: issued by court or vested authority naming a person charged with a crime, and commanding their appearance before the court.

WAR/WD

Warrant Withdrawn/Recalled: when a defendant appears in court, the warrant will be recalled.

WD

Withdrawn: may refer to defendant's withdrawal of appeal to a higher court for review.

WKND

To Be Served Weekends: court has authority to order defendant to serve term of incarceration on weekends.

YO

Youthful Offender:   a person who is subject to an adult or juvenile sentence for having committed, while between the ages of 14 and 17, an offense that if he/she were an adult would be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, and (a) has previously been committed to DYS, or (b) has committed an offense which involves the infliction or threat of serious bodily harm, or (c) has committed a violation of G.L. c. 269, sections 10(a),(c), (d) or 10E.