Accountability Law and Legal Definition. Accountability is generally the state of being liable, answerable, or accountable. When applied to a legal context, accountability means that some legal rule(s) exists under which a theory or claim can be made to find one liable in a civil law suit or culpable in a criminal matter. Under state laws, a person must reach a certain age before they can be held accountable in both civil and criminal matters.
A police officerâs regular practice in the business of policing is to observe crime and report it. Thus, an officerâs reports are often considered business records and therefore are allowed into evidence as an exception to the hearsay rule.
A patrol officer is chasing a suspect fleeing from an armed robbery where the suspect fired a pistol. The suspect flees into his own home where the officer enters and arrests the suspect. An immediate search of the suspect reveals an empty shoulder holster. Without advice of rights the officer asks the suspect the whereabouts of the gun. The suspect states that he threw it into the trash bin as he ran through the house. The weapon is found. Which of the following would be most applicable to making the gun admissible at trial?