What does it mean if an accused is acquitted of a criminal offence?

An acquittal in a criminal case means that the accused has been found not guilty of the charges against them. This outcome occurs after the court has examined the evidence and determined that there is insufficient proof to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, the accused is cleared of the charges and is no longer subject to prosecution for that specific offence.

In contrast, being sentenced to probation signifies that a guilty verdict has been reached, and the individual is punished under certain conditions rather than serving time in jail. The notion of setting a new trial date is associated with situations where a trial might need to be restarted due to various legal issues, which does not apply in the case of an acquittal. Lastly, "none of the above" does not apply, as the correct interpretation of acquittal is clearly provided in the first choice.