Definition. At the end of a criminal trial, a finding by a judge or jury that a defendant is not guilty. An acquittal signifies that a prosecutor failed to prove his or her case beyond a reasonable doubt, not that a defendant is innocent.

Is not guilty and acquitted the same thing?

"Not guilty" and "acquittal" are synonymous. ... In other words, to find a defendant not guilty is to acquit. At trial, an acquittal occurs when the jury (or the judge if it's a judge trial) determines that the prosecution hasn't proved the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Can you be convicted after being acquitted?

Double jeopardy is an American Constitutional principle that bars the government from trying a person more than once for the same conduct. It protects you from being prosecuted again for the same offense following an acquittal or a conviction.