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"""Not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
---
layout: post
source: Garner's Modern American Usage
source_url: http://bit.ly/1T4alrY
title: Not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
date: 2016-03-09 15:50:31
categories: writing
---
This phrasing is ambiguous. The standard by which a jury decides criminal
charges is this: a defendant is guilty only if the evidence shows, beyond a
reasonable doubt, that he or she committed the crime. Otherwise, the defendant
is not guilty. Thus, we say that a defendant was not found "guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt."
If somebody is found not guilty, say "not guilty." Omit the standard
("beyond a reasonable doubt") to prevent a miscue.
Not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
"""
from proselint.tools import existence_check, memoize
@memoize
def check(text):
"""Check the text."""
err = "misc.not_guilty"
msg = "'not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt' is an ambiguous phrasing."
regex = r"not guilty beyond (a |any )?reasonable doubt"
return existence_check(text, [regex], err, msg)
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