Suspect: Difference between revisions
imported>BarrelProof copyedit |
imported>Ost316 Add info from prime suspect and further c/e, including to lead |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Person accused or suspected of committing a crime}} | {{Short description|Person accused or suspected of committing a crime}} | ||
{{ | {{Merge from|Prime suspect|discuss=Talk:Suspect#Merge proposal|date=December 2025}} | ||
{{Other uses}} | |||
{{Multiple issues| | {{Multiple issues| | ||
{{More citations needed|date=March 2012}} | {{More citations needed|date=March 2012}} | ||
| Line 6: | Line 7: | ||
{{Essay-like|date=February 2023}} | {{Essay-like|date=February 2023}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
In law enforcement jargon, a '''suspect''' is a known person accused or suspected of committing a [[crime]]. | In law enforcement jargon, a '''suspect''' is a known person accused or suspected of committing a [[crime]]. By definition, a suspect is distinct from the '''perpetrator''' of the offense ('''perp''', in dated U.S. slang), though in the [[United States]], the word ''suspect'' is often used as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator. The term is also related to the terms ''[[defendant]]'', ''the accused'', ''[[person of interest]]'', and ''[[prime suspect]]''. | ||
== Terminology == | |||
In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a [[crime]]. Police and reporters in the [[United States]] often use the word ''suspect'' as a jargon when referring to the ''perpetrator'' of the offense (''perp'', in dated U.S. slang). However, in official definition, the perpetrator is the robber, assailant, [[counterfeiter]], etc.—the person who committed the crime. The distinction between suspect and perpetrator recognizes that the suspect is not ''known'' to have committed the offense, while the perpetrator—who may not yet have been suspected of the crime, and is thus not necessarily a suspect—is the one who did. The suspect may be a different person from the perpetrator, or there may have been no actual crime, which would mean there is no perpetrator.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97jul/9707wdct.htm |title=Word Court |date=July 1997 |publisher=Theatlantic.com |access-date=2012-03-19 |archive-date=2008-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724045713/http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97jul/9707wdct.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
A common error in [[Complaint|police report]]s is a [[witness]] description of the suspect (as a witness generally describes a perpetrator, while a [[mug shot]] is of a suspect). Frequently, it is stated that police are looking for the suspect, when there is no suspect; the police {{em|could}} be looking for a suspect, but they should ultimately be looking for the perpetrator, and very often it is impossible to tell from such a police report whether there is a suspect or not. | |||
Under the judicial systems of the U.S., once a decision is approved to [[arrest]] a suspect, or bind them over for [[trial (law)|trial]], either by a [[prosecutor]] issuing an [[Information (formal criminal charge)|information]], a [[grand jury]] issuing a [[true bill]] or [[indictment]], or a [[judge]] issuing an [[arrest warrant]], the suspect can then be properly called a ''[[defendant]]'', or ''the accused''. | Under the judicial systems of the U.S., once a decision is approved to [[arrest]] a suspect, or bind them over for [[trial (law)|trial]], either by a [[prosecutor]] issuing an [[Information (formal criminal charge)|information]], a [[grand jury]] issuing a [[true bill]] or [[indictment]], or a [[judge]] issuing an [[arrest warrant]], the suspect can then be properly called a ''[[defendant]]'', or ''the accused''. | ||
=== Person of interest === | |||
{{Main|Person of interest}} | |||
To avoid clearly labeling someone as a ''suspect'' or ''perpetrator'', police in the late 20th and early 21st century began to sometimes use the terms ''[[person of interest]]'', ''possible suspect'', or even ''possible person of interest''. The term ''person of interest'' has no clear legal meaning.{{cn|date=August 2020}} | |||
=== Prim suspect === | |||
{{Main|Prime suspect}} | |||
A ''prime suspect'' or ''key suspect'' is a person who is considered by the [[law enforcement agency]] investigating a crime to be the most likely [[suspect]].<ref name="dictcom">[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prime%20suspect "Prime suspect"]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911092608/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prime%20suspect|date=2015-09-11}}. ''Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon''. [[Dictionary.com]], LLC. 06 Aug. 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=prime suspect |url=http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/prime-suspect/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402171829/http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/prime-suspect/ |archive-date=April 2, 2014 |access-date=August 6, 2014 |work=USLegal.com}}</ref> The idiom ''prime suspect'' is believed to have originated in 1931.<ref name="dictcom" /> ''Key suspect'' is seen as early as 1948.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GQpF3IvhAK8C&q=%22key+suspect%22 |title=Congressional Record Volume 94, Part 9 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |year=1948 |page=A-695 |access-date=August 24, 2014}}</ref> | |||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
* [[Arguido]] | * {{Lang|pt|[[Arguido]]}} | ||
* [[Criminal]] | * [[Criminal]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Wiktionary|suspect|perpetrator | {{reflist}} | ||
==External links== | |||
{{Wiktionary|suspect|perpetrator|position=left}} | |||
{{Criminal procedure}} | {{Criminal procedure}} | ||
Latest revision as of 02:07, 17 December 2025
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "other uses". Script error: No such module "Unsubst". In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. By definition, a suspect is distinct from the perpetrator of the offense (perp, in dated U.S. slang), though in the United States, the word suspect is often used as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator. The term is also related to the terms defendant, the accused, person of interest, and prime suspect.
Terminology
In law enforcement jargon, a suspect is a known person accused or suspected of committing a crime. Police and reporters in the United States often use the word suspect as a jargon when referring to the perpetrator of the offense (perp, in dated U.S. slang). However, in official definition, the perpetrator is the robber, assailant, counterfeiter, etc.—the person who committed the crime. The distinction between suspect and perpetrator recognizes that the suspect is not known to have committed the offense, while the perpetrator—who may not yet have been suspected of the crime, and is thus not necessarily a suspect—is the one who did. The suspect may be a different person from the perpetrator, or there may have been no actual crime, which would mean there is no perpetrator.[1]
A common error in police reports is a witness description of the suspect (as a witness generally describes a perpetrator, while a mug shot is of a suspect). Frequently, it is stated that police are looking for the suspect, when there is no suspect; the police Template:Em be looking for a suspect, but they should ultimately be looking for the perpetrator, and very often it is impossible to tell from such a police report whether there is a suspect or not.
Under the judicial systems of the U.S., once a decision is approved to arrest a suspect, or bind them over for trial, either by a prosecutor issuing an information, a grand jury issuing a true bill or indictment, or a judge issuing an arrest warrant, the suspect can then be properly called a defendant, or the accused.
Person of interest
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". To avoid clearly labeling someone as a suspect or perpetrator, police in the late 20th and early 21st century began to sometimes use the terms person of interest, possible suspect, or even possible person of interest. The term person of interest has no clear legal meaning.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Prim suspect
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". A prime suspect or key suspect is a person who is considered by the law enforcement agency investigating a crime to be the most likely suspect.[2][3] The idiom prime suspect is believed to have originated in 1931.[2] Key suspect is seen as early as 1948.[4]
See also
- Script error: No such module "Lang".
- Criminal
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b "Prime suspect"Template:Webarchive. Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Dictionary.com, LLC. 06 Aug. 2014.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".