ABSOLUTION, in Civil Law, is a sentence where-
by the party accused is declared innocent of the crime
laid to his charge.—Among the Romans, the ordinary
method of pronouncing judgment was this: after the
cause had been pleaded on both sides, the preco used
the word dixerunt, q. d. they have said what they had
to say; then three ballots were distributed to each
judge, marked as mentioned under the article A; and
as the majority fell of either mark, the accused was ab-
solved or condemned, &c. If he were absolved, the
praetor dismissed him with evidetur non fecisse, or jure vi-
detur fecisse.