exculpatory finding
/ˌɛkskʌlˈpeɪtəri ˈfaɪndɪŋ/ · ex·cul·pa·to·ry fin·ding
noun
- A judicial or investigative conclusion that clears a person of criminal or civil liability. The jury’s exculpatory finding meant the defendant walked free despite the prosecutor’s strong case.
- Any official determination, often in a report, that provides evidence of innocence. The forensic audit produced an exculpatory finding that the accountant had not embezzled funds.
Synonyms
exonerating findingclearing findingacquittal findingexculpatory conclusioninnocence determinationvindicating findingnon‑culpable findingabsolving finding
Antonyms
Did you know? The phrase "exculpatory finding" was famously used in the 1895 Supreme Court case United States v. Hall, marking one of the earliest recorded uses of the term in American jurisprudence.