CRIMINAL LAW COMMONLY USED TERMS

1. YO - Means "Youthful Offender."  A YO adjudication is not a judgment of conviction for a crime.  Getting YO treatment on a criminal case is extremely beneficial because you do not ever have to divulge you were convicted of a crime, because you weren't.  Every youth between the age of 16 and less than nineteen is a mandatory youthful offender on their first misdemeanor conviction (provided they have not previously been convicted of a felony or been designated a juvenile delinquent by committing a designated felony under the Family Court Act).  For a felony offense, you are only an eligible YO - meaning it is up to the judge if he will grant you YO status.  For more information, see Criminal Procedure Law Article 720.
2. ACD or ACOD - Means "adjournment in contemplation of dismissal."  A ACD is also not a criminal conviction.  An ACD is an adjournment of the action with a view towards ultimate dismissal.  ACD's can last up to a period of one year from the date of application and can be premised upon certain conditions, such as orders of protection, community service, and participation in a program.  For more information, see Criminal Procedure Law Sections 170.55 & 170.56.
3. ROR - Means "released on your own recognizance."  ROR is a bail status.  It means that there is no bail set upon your arraignment because the judge believes you are not a flight risk.  There are also mandatory provisions of the law that require ROR procedurally, such as when the People do not file a sufficient accusatory instrument within a specified time frame or file a Grand Jury indictment within a certain time frame.  For more information, see Criminal Procedure Law Section 500.10. 
4. PFO - Means "Prior Felony Offender."  You are a PFO if you are currently charged with a felony and have a felony conviction within the last 10 years.  The time spent incarcerated within those 10 years gets subtracted.  Meaning, if you had a felony conviction 15 years ago, but have spent 7 years in jail, you are still a PFO.  PFO's face mandatory prison sentences upon conviction of a new felony offense.  For more information about PFO's, please see Penal Law Article 70. 
5. PSR or PSI - Means "Pre-sentence report or Pre-sentence Investigation."  A PSR is a written report prepared by the Probation department about you that helps assist the judge in fashioning an appropriate sentence.  See Criminal Procedure Law Article 390. 
6. SORA - Means "Sex Offender Registration Act."  The SORA requires people convicted of certain sex crimes to register under the State Database as Sex Offenders.  Being classified as a Sex Offender has heavy consequences including mandatory registration and significant limitations on your freedom.  For more information about SORA, please refer to Corrections Law Article 168.