Which legal concept describes a situation where a defendant pled guilty or was found guilty?

The correct choice, which is conviction, refers to the legal outcome that occurs when a defendant either pleads guilty to a crime or is found guilty after a trial. A conviction signifies that the court has established the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to potential sentencing and legal consequences.

In the judicial process, a verdict typically denotes the jury's decision in a case, but it does not encompass the situation of a plea of guilty, making it distinct from the broader concept of conviction. An indictment refers to a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime, which occurs prior to a guilty plea or determination of guilt, and thus is not applicable to the context of being guilty. Lastly, acquittal describes the situation where a defendant is found not guilty, which is the opposite of a conviction. Therefore, conviction is the most accurate term to represent the scenario where someone has pled guilty or been found guilty.