VOCABULARY 21 CRIME AND JUSTICE

1. ACQUIT Verb—to declare not guilty We wondered whether the jury would convict the man or ACQUIT him.

2. ARSON Noun—the crime of deliberately setting fire to something The detectives searched the burned building for signs of ARSON.

3. CORRUPTION Noun—dishonesty or improper behavior in a person of authority The mayor was accused of CORRUPTION after he accepted gifts in return for changing the zoning laws.

4. COUNTERFEIT Verb—to make a fake copy of Adjective Noun It is a crime to COUNTERFEIT money.

5. CULPRIT A guilty person Tanner was the CULPRIT who broke the window.

6. FELONY A serious crime Armed robbery is a FELONY.

7. INCARCERATE Verb—to put in prison The violent criminal was INCARCERATED in a maximum-security prison.

8. INCRIMINATE Verb—to cause to appear guilty; to give evidence of guilt The testimony of three witnesses INCRIMINATED the man on trial.

9. JURISDICTION Noun—the extent or range of authority; control Federal courts have JURISDICTION in bankruptcy cases.

10. SWINDLE Verb—to cheat someone out of money or property a. The salesman SWINDLED people by convincing them to invest in a phony retirement fund. Noun—a scheme cheating someone out of money or property b. We knew we were victims of a SWINDLE when we saw that our vacation property was in the middle of a swamp!