clearly guilty; proven guilty; guilt is evident
Used when someone's guilt for a crime is clearly established or obvious. Often appears in legal or formal contexts, but can be used in everyday speech to emphasize that the person is undeniably guilty.
With all the evidence, his guilt is clear.
There was no room for defense for the clearly guilty defendant.
有罪 means 'guilty' as a legal verdict, while 罪状明白 emphasizes that the guilt is obvious or proven, often before a formal verdict.
明白 alone means 'clear' or 'obvious' in general; 罪状明白 specifically refers to the clarity of a crime or guilt.
Compound of 罪状 (nature of the crime) and 明白 (clear, obvious). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is formed from standard Sino-Japanese elements.