What is the legal term for certifying the innocence of someone charged with a crime?

The legal term for certifying the innocence of someone charged with a crime is exonerate. When someone is exonerated, it means that they have been cleared of guilt, typically after new evidence emerges or when it is determined that the initial conviction was wrongful. This term encompasses the idea of formally declaring that the individual did not commit the crime with which they were charged.

Acquittal refers specifically to a formal judgment in which a person is found not guilty, often due to lack of evidence during a trial, but does not necessarily confirm innocence in the way that exoneration does. While dismissal refers to a case being thrown out before going to trial, vindication can imply a restoration of one’s name but is less specific in a legal context compared to exoneration.