term:

Exculpate

exculpate vt

-pat·ed
-pat·ing
[Medieval Latin exculpare, from Latin ex- out of + culpa blame]
: to clear from alleged fault or guilt [a statement…offered to the accused is not admissible unless corroborating circumstances clearly indicate the trustworthiness of the statement "Federal Rules of Evidence Rule 804(b)(3)"] compare acquit, exonerate
ex·cul·pa·tion [ek-skəl-pā-shən]
n

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.