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.
In a civil case, the burden of proof on the plaintiff is much lower than the burden of proof on the prosecutor in a criminal case. The burden in a criminal case is beyond a reasonable doubt while in a civil case the burden is preponderance of the evidence in most cases. Also, in a criminal case, the jury's finding must be unanimous, but in a civil case, the finding is a majority of the jurors. Addition: the rules of evidence (including the rules against hearsay) apply to BOTH civil and criminal trials. Hearsay is not allowed in a civil trial either. Source(s):