LIVE FEED: Will Six Officers Be Convicted Of Charges In Death Of Freddie Gray?

Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., 45, who was the driver of a police van that carried Gray through the streets of Baltimore, was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, second-degree assault, two vehicular manslaughter charges and misconduct in office. A man who answered the phone at Goodson’s home declined to comment and hung up the phone.

 Today’s decision brings attention to the legal meanings of  three verbs : “charge,” “convict,” and “sentence.” They appear in the news constantly, but do you know what each term actually describes?

Once convicted, the person has been proven or declared guilty of the offense. In the United States, a person is convicted after a legal trial.

After a conviction in criminal (as opposed to civil) proceedings, sentencing is next. When sentenced, the convicted criminal is issued a formal judgment that usually pronounces the punishment. The convict can appeal the sentence, but a sentence usually takes effect while appeals occur.