innocence

innocence noun absence of guilt, blamelessness, exculpation, exoneration, freedom from blame, freedom from guilt, freedom from illegality, guiltlessness, innocency, integritas, sinlessness
Associated concepts: presumption of innocence
Foreign phrases: Omnis indemnatus pro innoxis legibus habetur.Every uncondemned person is regarded by the law as innocent. Quisquis praesumitur bonus; et semper in dubiis pro reo respondendum. Everyone is presumed to be good; and in doubtful cases it should be resolved in favor of the accused. In favorem vitae, libertatis, et innooentiae, omnia praesumuntur. Every presumption is made in favor of life, liberty, and innocence.

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See also: compurgation, credulity, ignorance

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INNOCENCE, The absence of guilt.
     2. The law presumes in favor of innocence, even against another presumption of law: for example, when a woman marries a second husband within the space of twelve months after her husband had left the country, the presumption of innocence preponderates over the presumption of the continuance of life. 2 B. & A. 386 3 Stark. Ev. 1249. An exception to this rule respecting the presumption of innocence has been made in the case of the publication of a libel, the principal being presumed to have authorized the sale, when a libel is sold by his agent in his usual place of doing business. 1 Russ. on Cr. 341; 10 Johns. R. 443; Bull. N. P. 6; Greenl. Ev. Sec. 36. See 4 Nev. & M. 341; 2 Ad. & Ell. 540; 5 Barn. & Ad. 86; 1 Stark. N. P. C. 21; 2 Nov. & M. 219.