"Acquitted" refers to a legal judgment that officially clears a person of criminal charges. When a defendant is acquitted, it means that the court has found insufficient evidence to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This outcome can occur in both jury trials and bench trials, where a judge makes the final decision. An acquittal does not necessarily mean the person is innocent; it simply indicates that the prosecution failed to meet its burden of proof. In many legal systems, an acquitted individual cannot be tried again for the same offense due to the principle of double jeopardy, which protects against repeated trials for the same crime.