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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

action - Lawsuit; the legal demand for one's right asserted in a court.

adjudication - Giving a judgment or decree; also the judgment given.

admissible evidence - Evidence which may be legally used in a court. Information that can be received into court to assist the judge or jury in deciding a case.

adversary system - The system of trial practice in the U.S. and some other countries in which each of the opposing, or adversary, parties has full opportunity to present and establish its opposing contentions before the court.

affidavit - a voluntary written statement of facts or charges made under oath. A written declaration or statement sworn to and affirmed by an officer of the court, such as a notary public or some other person authorized to take the statement, who has authority to administer an oath.

allegation - The assertion, declaration, or statement of a party to an action, made in a pleading, setting out what he expects to prove.

amicus curiae (a-mi'k?is' ku ri -i) - A friend of the court; one who interposes and volunteers information upon some matter of law.

answer - A pleading by which the defendant tries to dispute the plaintiff's right to recover by controverting the facts alleged by the plaintiff or the principle of law relied on by him, or both; or by asserting some defense which relieves the defendant of liability.

appeal - To ask a more senior court or person to review a decision of a subordinate court or person. The request that a court with appellate jurisdiction review the judgment, decision, or order of a lower court and set it aside, reverse it or modify it.

appearance - The formal proceeding by which a defendant submits himself to the jurisdiction of the court.

appellate court - A court which hears appeals and reviews lower court decisions, generally on the lower court record only.

arbitration - A alternative dispute resolution method by which an independent, neutral third person (arbitrator) is appointed to hear and consider the merits of the dispute and renders a final and binding decision called an award.

arraignment - In criminal practice, to bring the prisoner to court in person to answer a charge.

assigned counsel - An attorney, appointed by the court, at no charge, to defend a person accused of a crime.

attorney-client privilege - In the law of evidence, the client's privilege to refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person from disclosing confidential communications between him- or herself and his/her attorney. The privilege belongs to the client and not the attorney and thus the client can waive the privilege and the attorney is required to reveal the nature of such communication.

attorney of record - Attorney whose name appears in the permanent records or files of a case.

B

bail - Cash or other security placed on deposit with the court to obtain the release of an arrested or imprisoned person and to guarantee his reappearance before the court on a specified day.

bail bond - A financial obligation signed by the accused and those who serve as sureties to guarantee his future appearance in court.

bailiff - A court attendant who keeps order and is responsible for the custody of the jury.

bench warrant - An order issued by the court, ("from the bench") for the attachment or arrest of a person.

bill of particulars - A detailed statement of an event or item referred to in another legal paper.

bind over - To hold on bail for trial.

brief - A written or printed document prepared by counsel to file in court, usually setting forth both facts and law in support of his case.

burden of proof - In the law of evidence, the necessity or duty of proving a fact or facts in dispute.

C

cause - A suit, litigation or action - civil or criminal.

certiorari (ser'shi-o-ra'ri) - An order commanding judges or officers of a lower court to certify the record of a case for judicial review by an appellate court.

challenge for cause - An objection to the qualifications of a juror for which a reason is given; usually on grounds of personal acquaintance with one of the parties or the existence of a bias which may affect the verdict.

chambers - Private office or room of a judge.

change of venue - The removal of a suit begun in one county or district to another, for trial, or from one court to another in the same county or district.

charge to the jury - The judge's instructions to the jury at the end of the closing arguments. The final address by the judge to the jury before the verdict, in which he sums up the case, and instructs the jury as to the rules of law which apply to its various issues, and which they must observe.

circumstantial evidence - All evidence of indirect nature; the process of decision by which a court or jury may reason from circumstances known or proved to establish by inference the principal fact.

commit - To send a person to prison, an asylum, workhouse, or reformatory by lawful authority.

common law - Law which derives its authority solely from usages and customs of immemorial antiquity or from the judgment and decrees of courts.

commutation - The change of a punishment from a greater degree to a lesser degree, as from death to life imprisonment.

comparative negligence - The doctrine by which acts of the opposing parties are compared to determine the proportion of liability which each shares for the injury which is the basis of the action.

competency - In the law of evidence the presence of those characteristics which render a witness legally fit and qualified to give testimony.

complaint - The first or initiatory pleading on the part of the complainant, or plaintiff, in a civil action which sets out his grievance.

concurrent sentence - Sentences for more than one crime in which the time of each is to be served concurrently, rather than successively.

contempt of court - Any act calculated to embarrass, hinder or obstruct a court in the administration of justice, or calculated to lessen its authority or dignity. Contempts are of two kinds: direct or indirect. Direct contempts are those committed in the immediate presence of the court; indirect is the term chiefly used with reference to the failure or refusal to obey a lawful order.

contract - An exchange of oral or written promises between two or more parties to do or not do a particular thing, enforceable by law.

contributory negligence - A doctrine which prohibits recovery of damages by a plaintiff whose own behavior contributed even slightly to the event which caused the plaintiff's injuries - as distinguished from comparative negligence.

corpus delicti (kor'pus de-lik'ti) - The object or thing upon which a crime has been committed, i.e., the body of a murdered person, the charred shell of a burned house.

corroborating evidence - Additional evidence which tends to strengthen or confirm evidence already given.

counterclaim - A claim presented by a defendant in opposition to the claim of a plaintiff.

courts of record - Those whose proceedings are permanently recorded, and which have the power to fine or imprison for contempt. Courts not of record are those of lesser authority whose proceedings are not permanently recorded.

cross-examination - The questioning of a witness in a trial, or in the taking of a deposition, by the party opposed to the one who produced the witness.

D

damages - Compensation recoverable in court by one who has suffered loss, detriment or injury to his person, property or rights due to the unlawful acts or negligence of others.

de novo (de no'vo) - Anew, afresh. A "trial de novo" is retrial.

declaratory judgment - One which declares the rights of the parties or expresses the opinion of the court on a question of law, without necessarily ordering anything to be done.

decree - A decision or order of the court. A final decree is one which fully and finally disposes of the litigation; an interlocutory decree is a provisional or preliminary decree which is not final.

default - A "default" in an action of law occurs when a defendant omits to plead within the time allowed or fails to appear at the trial.

defendant - The individual charged with a crime. The person who is being prosecuted. The person, company or organization against whom a criminal proceeding is pending.

deliberation - The action of a jury to determine the guilt or innocence, or the sentence, of a defendant. In the context of the functioning of a jury it means that a properly formed jury comprised of the number of qualified persons required by law while in the secrecy of the jury room analyze, discuss, and weigh the evidence which was presented in the case in order to reach a verdict based upon the applicable law.

demur (de mer') - To file a pleading (called "a demurrer") admitting the truth of the facts in the complaint, or answer, but contending they are legally insufficient.

deposition - The testimony of a witness not taken in open court in pursuance of authority given by

statute or rule of court to take testimony elsewhere.

direct evidence - Proof of facts by witnesses who saw acts done or heard words spoken, as distinguished from circumstantial evidence, which is called indirect.

direct examination - The first interrogation of a witness by the party on whose behalf he is called.

directed verdict - An instruction by the judge to the jury to return a specific verdict.

discovery - A proceeding whereby one party to an action may be informed as to facts known by other parties or witnesses.

dismissal without prejudice - Permits the complainant to sue again on the same cause of action, while dismissal "with prejudice" bars the right to bring or maintain an action on the same claim or cause.

dissent - A term commonly used to denote the disagreement of one or more judges of a court with the decision of the majority.

double jeopardy - Common law and constitutional prohibition against more than one prosecution for the same crime, transaction or omission.

due process - Law in its regular course of administration through the courts of justice. The guarantee of due process requires that every man have the protection of a fair trial.

E

enjoin - To require a person, by writ of injunction from a court of

entrapment - The act of officers or agents of a government in inducing a person to commit a crime not contemplated by him, for the purpose of instituting a criminal prosecution against him.

equity - to perform, or to abstain or desist from, some act.

escrow (es'kro~) - A writing, deed, fund or object delivered by one person to another to be held until specified acts are performed or certain conditions are met, and then to be disposed of as directed under the terms of the escrow.

estoppel (es-top'el) - A person's own act, or acceptance of facts, which preclude his later making claims to the contrary.

et al. - An abbreviation of et alii, meaning "and others."

ex parte (ex par'te) - By or for one party; done for, in behalf of, or on the application of, one party only, without notice to the other.

ex post facto (ex post fak'to) - After the fact; an act or fact, occurring after some previous act or fact, and relating thereto.

exception - A formal objection to an action of the court, during the trial of a case, in refusing a request or overruling an objection; implying that the party excepting does not acquiesce in the decision of the court, but will seek to procure its reversal.

exclusionary rule - A court created rule of evidence which makes illegally acquired evidence inadmissible. An interpretation of constitutional guarantees holding that evidence obtained through illegal means by police cannot be used at trial. Under this rule evidence through unreasonable searches and seizures is excluded from use at trial under the protections of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

exhibit - A paper, document or other article produced and exhibited to a court during a trial or hearing.

expert evidence - Testimony given in relation to some scientific, technical, or professional matter by experts, i.e., persons qualified to speak authoritatively by reason of their special training, skill, or familiarity with the subject.

extenuating circumstances - Circumstances which render a crime less aggravated, heinous, or reprehensible than it would otherwise be.

F

false arrest - Any unlawful physical restraint of another person, in prison or elsewhere.

false pretenses - Misrepresentation in order to obtain another's money or goods.

felony - A crime of a graver nature than a misdemeanor. Generally, an offense punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year.

fiduciary - A trustee; one who has the duty to act primarily for the benefit of another with respect to the subject matter of the trust.

fraud - An intentional perversion of truth; deceitful practice or device resorted to with intent to deprive another of property or other right, or in some manner to do him injury.

fruit of the poisonous tree - The doctrine that evidence seized illegally or through the use of other illegally obtained sources is considered "tainted" and is therefore inadmissible at trial against a suspect. However, knowledge of facts gained independently of the original tainted search is admissible. The effect of this doctrine is that an unlawful search taints not only evidence seized directly at the search, but also facts discovered through some further process initiated as a result of the illegal search.

G

grand jury - (see jury, grand)

guardian ad litem (ad li'tem) - A person appointed by a court to look after the interests of an infant or incompetent whose property is involved in litigation.

H

habeas corpus (had be-as kor'pus) - "You have the body." The name given a variety of writs whose object is to bring a person before a court or judge. In the most common usage, it is directed to the official or person detaining another, commanding him to produce the body of the prisoner or person detained so the court may determine if such person has been denied his liberty without due process of the law.

harmless error - In appellate practice, an error committed by a lower court during a trial, but not prejudicial to the rights of the party and for which the court will not reverse the judgment.

hearsay - Evidence not proceeding from the personal knowledge of the witness.

hostile witness - A witness who is subject to cross-examination by the party who called him to testify, because of his evident antagonism toward that party as exhibited in his direct examination.

hypothetical question - A combination of facts and circumstances, assumed or proved, stated in such a form as to constitute a coherent state of facts upon which the opinion of an expert can be asked by way of evidence in a trial.

I

impeachment of witness - An attack on the credibility of a witness, as by the testimony of other witnesses or evidence of prior bad conduct or criminal convictions.

implied contract - A contract in which the promise made by the obligor is not express, but inferred by his conduct or implied in law.

imputed negligence - Negligence which is not directly attributable to the person himself, but which is the negligence of a person who is in privity (has a particular legal relationship) with him, and with whose fault he is chargeable.

inadmissible - That which, under the established rules of evidence, cannot be admitted or received.

in camera (in kam'e-ra) - In chambers; in private.

indeterminate sentence - An indefinite sentence of "not less than" and "not more than" so many years, the exact term to be served being afterwards determined by parole authorities within the minimum and maximum limits set by the court or by statute.

indictment - An accusation in writing found and presented by a grand jury, charging that a person therein named has done some act, or been guilty of some omission, which, by law, is a crime.

information - An accusation of some criminal offense, in the nature of an indictment, but which is presented by a competent public officer instead of a grand jury.

injunction - A mandatory or prohibitive writ issued by a court.

instruction - A direction given by the judge to the jury concerning the law of the case.

interlocutory - Provisional; temporary; not final. Refers to orders and decrees of a court.

interrogatories - Written questions propounded by one party and served on an adversary, who must provide written answers under oath.

intestate - One who dies without leaving a will.

irrelevant - Evidence not relating or applicable to the matter in issue; not supporting the issue.

J

jurisdiction - A range of authority or control especially to interpret and apply the law. The power of a court to hear and determine a particular criminal case. The court's authority to judge over a situation is usually acquired in one of three ways: over acts committed in a defined territory (e.g. the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals of New York State is limited to acts committed or originating in New York State), over certain types of cases (the jurisdiction of a bankruptcy court is limited to bankruptcy cases), or over certain persons (a military court has jurisdiction limited to actions of military personnel).

jury - A certain number of persons, selected according to law, and sworn to inquire into certain matters of fact, and declare the truth upon evidence laid before them.

jury, grand - A jury of inquiry whose duty is to receive complaints and accusations in criminal cases, hear the evidence and find bills of indictment in cases where they are satisfied that there is probable cause that a crime was committed and that a trial ought to be held.

jury, petit - The ordinary jury of 12 (or fewer) persons for the trial of a civil or criminal case. So called to distinguish it from the grand jury.

L

leading question - One which instructs a witness how to answer or puts into his mouth words to be echoed back; one which suggests to the witness the answer desired. Prohibited on direct examination.

limitation - A certain time allowed by statute in which litigation must be brought.

locus delicti (lob kus de-lik'ti) - The place of the offense.

M

malfeasance (mal-fe'zans) - Evil doing; ill conduct; the commission of some act which is positively prohibited by law.

mandamus (man-da~'mus) - The name of a writ which issues from a court of superior jurisdiction, directed to an inferior court or to a public officer, commanding the performance of a particular act.

mandate - A judicial command or precept proceeding from a court or judicial officer, directing the proper officer to enforce a judgment, sentence, or decree.

manslaughter - The unlawful killing of another without malice; may be either voluntary upon a sudden impulse, or involuntary in the commission of some unlawful act.

Miranda warning - The statement recited to individuals taken into police custody. It warns of their right to remain silent and to have an attorney.

misdemeanor - Offenses less than felonies; generally those punishable by fine or imprisonment for a term of one year or less.

misfeasance - A misdeed or trespass; the improper performance of some act which a person may lawfully do.

mistrial - An erroneous or invalid trial; a trial which cannot stand because of lack of jurisdiction, improper drawing of jurors, or some substantial error during the trial which could not have been remedied by an instruction by the judge.

mitigating circumstance - One which does not constitute a justification or excuse for an offense, but which may be considered as reducing the degree of moral culpability.

moot - Unsettled; undecided; not necessary to be decided. A moot point is one not settled by judicial decisions.

moral turpitude - Conduct contrary to honesty, modesty, or good morals.

murder - The unlawful killing of a human being by another with malice aforethought, either express or implied.

N

negligence - The failure to do something which a reasonable man, guided by ordinary considerations, would do; or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent man would not do.

no bill - This phrase, endorsed by a grand jury on the indictment, is equivalent to "not found" or "not a true bill." It means that, in the opinion of the jury, evidence was insufficient to warrant the return of a formal charge.

nolo contendere (no'lo kon-ten'dere) - A pleading, usually used by defendants in criminal cases, which literally means "I will not contest it."

non compos mentis (non kom'pos) - Not sound of mind; insane.

O

objection - The act of taking exception to some statement or procedure used in trial. Used to call the court's attention to improper evidence or procedure.

opinion evidence - Evidence of what the witness thinks, believes or infers in regard to facts in dispute, as distinguished from his personal knowledge of the facts; not admissible except (under certain limitations) in the case of experts.

out of court - One who has no legal status in court is said to be "out of court," i.e., he is not before the court. For example, when a plaintiff, by some act of omission or commission, shows that he is unable to maintain his action, he is frequently said to have put himself "out of court."

overrule - The court's denial of any motion or point raised to the court, such as "overruling a motion for a new trial" or "objection overruled."

P

panel - A list of jurors to serve in a particular court, or for the trial of a particular action; denotes either the whole body of persons summoned as jurors for a particular term of court or those selected by the clerk by lot.

parole - The conditional release from prison of a convict before the expiration of his sentence. If he observes the conditions, the parolee need not serve the remainder of his sentence.

parties - The persons who are actively concerned in the prosecution or defense of a legal proceeding.

penal law - State or federal statute or statutes that define criminal offenses and specify corresponding fines and punishments. A statute or set of statutes imposing a penalty, fine, or other punishments for certain offenses of a public nature or wrongs committed against the state.

peremptory challenge - The right of parties in criminal and civil cases to dismiss a prospective juror without giving any reason. The number of such challenges is limited by statute.

perjury - The act of testifying falsely under oath. An intentional lie as to a matter of fact, belief, opinion, or knowledge, given while under oath or in a sworn affidavit. The legal offense of deliberately testifying falsely under oath about a material fact.

plaintiff - A person who brings a civil action; the party who complains or sues.

plea bargaining - To agree to plead guilty to a less serious charge in order to avoid being tried on a more serious charge. The process of negotiation between the prosecutor and the defendant for a reduction of the penalty. The normal rule of law is that judges are not bound by plea bargains although, as past lawyers themselves, they are generally aware of plea bargains and a reasonable recommendation of a prosecutor on sentencing is always heavily considered.

pleading - The process by which the parties in a suit or action alternately present written statements of their contentions, each responsive to that which precedes, and each serving to narrow the field of controversy, until there evolves one or more points, affirmed on one side and denied on the other, called the "issue" upon which they then go to trial.

polling the jury - Asking jurors individually whether they assented and still assent to the verdict announced by the foreman.

power of attorney - Authorization for one person to act as another's agent or attorney.

precedent - A case which establishes legal principles to a certain set of facts, coming to a certain conclusion, and which is to be followed from that point on when similar or identical facts are before a court. A prior judicial decision that serves as an example or rule to authorize or justify other decisions in similar cases that follow.

prejudicial error - Synonymous with "reversible error;" an error which warrants the appellate court to reverse the judgment before it.

preliminary hearing - Synonymous with "preliminary examination"; the hearing given a person charged with a crime by a magistrate or judge to determine whether he should be held for trial. Since the Constitution states that a person cannot be accused in secret, a preliminary hearing is open to the public unless the defendant requests that it be closed. The accused person must be present at this hearing and must be accompanied by his attorney.

preponderance of evidence - The greater weight (in terms of quality, not quantity) of evidence, or that evidence which is more believable and convincing.

presumption of fact - An inference as to the truth or falsity of any proposition of fact, drawn by a process of reasoning in the absence of actual certainty of its truth or falsity, or until such certainty can be ascertained.

presumption of law - A rule of law that courts and judges shall draw a particular inference from a particular fact, or from particular evidence.

prima facie - (Lat.) At first view or on its face. Requiring no additional support to establish validity or credibility. Presumed to be true unless disproved by evidence to the contrary. Refers to evidence that, at first appearance, seems to establish a particular fact, but that may be later contradicted by other evidence.

pro bono - Legal services rendered without charge, in the public interest.

pro se - Appearing in an action on one's behalf without benefit of an attorney.

probate - The act or process of proving a will.

probation - In criminal law, to allow one convicted of a crime to go free while his prison sentence is suspended during good behavior, generally under the supervision of a probation officer.

prosecutor - A public officer whose duty is the prosecution of criminal proceedings on behalf of the people.

R

reasonable doubt - An accused person is entitled to acquittal if, in the minds of the jury, his guilt has not been proved beyond a "reasonable doubt"; that state of the minds of jurors in which they cannot say they feel an abiding conviction as to the truth of the charge.

rebuttal - The introduction of answering evidence; proof by one party disputing proof provided by its adversary; also, the state of a trial when such evidence is introduced.

recuse - the action by a judge in disqualifying him-or herself from hearing a case because of bias, prejudice or self interest. The judge's practice of removing him- or herself from a case in which s/he is related to one or more of the parties or in which s/he has some special personal interest.

redirect examination - Follows cross-examination and is exercised by the party who first examined the witness.

referee - A person to whom a cause pending in a court is referred by the court to take testimony, hear the parties, and report thereon to the court. He is an officer exercising judicial powers and is an arm of the court for a specific purpose.

reply - When a case is tried or argued in court, the argument of the plaintiff in answer to that of the defendant. A pleading in response to an answer.

rest - A party is said to "rest" or "rest his case" when he has presented all the evidence he intends to offer.

retainer - Act of the client in employing his attorney or counsel, and also denotes the fee which the client pays when he retains the attorney to act for him.

rule of court - An order made by a court having competent jurisdiction. Rules of court are either general or special: the former are the regulations by which the practice of the court is governed; the latter are special orders made in particular cases.

S

Sandoval hearing - A hearing to determine use by the prosecution of prior convictions or proof of prior criminal activity or vicious or immoral acts to impeach a defendant's credibility when he testifies.

search and seizure, unreasonable - In general, an unlawful search of one's premises or person; a search which is unreasonably oppressive in its invasion of privacy.

search warrant - A written order from a justice or magistrate directing an officer to search a specific place for a specific object, issued upon a showing of probable cause.

securing order - An order of the court committing the defendant to the custody of the sheriff, or fixing bail, or releasing the defendant on his/her own recognizance; the court's decision in a bail hearing.

self-defense - The protection of one's person or property against some injury attempted by another. The law of "self defense" justifies an act done in the reasonable belief of immediate danger. When acting in justifiable self defense, a person may not be punished criminally nor held responsible for civil damages.

sheriff - An officer of a county whose principal duties are to aid the criminal and civil courts and act as chief preserver of the peace in many places. He serves processes, may summon juries, executes judgments and holds judicial sales.

stare decisis (sta're de-si'sis) - A doctrine that, when a court has once laid down a principle of law as applicable to a certain set of facts, it will adhere to that principle and apply it to future cases where the facts are substantially the same.

state's evidence - Testimony given by an accomplice or participant in a crime, tending to convict others.

statute - A formal law enacted by some legislative body, as in Congress or a state legislature.

stay - A stopping or arresting of a judicial proceeding by order of the court.

stipulation - An agreement by attorneys on opposite-sides of a case as to any matter pertaining to the proceedings or trial. It is not binding unless assented to by the parties, and most stipulations must be in writing.

subpoena (su-pe'na) - A process to cause a witness to appear and give testimony before a court or magistrate.

substantive law - The law dealing with rights, duties and liabilities as distinguished from adjective law, which is the law regulating procedure.

summons - A legal paper served on a named person notifying him that an action is being commenced against him and that he is required to appear or to answer the complaint in the action within the time stated in the summons.

suppression of evidence - The ruling by the trial judge that evidence sought to be admitted should be excluded because it was illegally acquired. The exclusion of certain information or evidence from being presented in a criminal proceeding as though the evidence didn't exist.

T

testator or testatrix - The maker of a written will. A person who dies without leaving a will dies "intestate."

testimony - Evidence given by a competent witness, under oath; as distinguished from evidence derived from writings and other sources.

tort - An injury or wrong committed, either with or without force, to the person or property of another.

transcript - The official record of proceedings in a trial or hearing.

true bill - In criminal practice, the endorsement made by a grand jury upon a bill of indictment when it finds sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal charge.

U

unlawful detainer - A retention or withholding of real estate without the consent of the owner or other person entitled to its possession.

V

venue (ven'u) - The particular county, or geographical area in which a court with jurisdiction may hear and determine case.

verdict - In practice, the formal decision or finding made by a jury, reported to the court and accepted by it.

violation - An offense less serious than a misdemeanor. An offense, other than a "traffic infraction" for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in excess of fifteen days cannot be imposed. An offense against the penal law but one which does not constitute a criminal offense.

voir dire (vwor der) - To speak the truth. The phrase denotes the preliminary examination which the court or the attorneys may make of one presented as a witness or juror, as to his qualifications.

W

Wade hearing - A hearing to determine whether identification by an eyewitness will be admissible at trial.

waiver of immunity - A means authorized by statutes by which a witness, in advance of giving testimony or producing evidence, may renounce the fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution that no person shall be compelled to be a witness against him- or herself, frequently demanded of a public official.

warrant of arrest - A writ issued by a magistrate, justice or other competent authority, to a sheriff, or other officer, requiring him to arrest a person therein named and bring him before the magistrate or court to answer to a specified charge.

without prejudice - A dismissal "without prejudice" allows a new suit to be brought on the same cause of action.

witness - One who testifies to what he has seen, heard, or otherwise observed.

writ - An order issuing from a court of justice and requiring the performance of a specified act, or giving authority and commission to have it done.

Disclaimer:

The information provided on this web site is general information related to common legal issues, and is not intended to be legal advice. Because laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, you are strongly urged to consult legal counsel in your state regarding the applicability of any points of law discussed on this web site to your specific legal matter.

Glossary References

Committee on Courts and the Community, The Courts of New York, 2nd ed., Albany: New York State Bar Association, 1993

Peter Stachecki, Criminal Law & Criminal Justice, New York:, 1998

Steven H. Gifis, Law Dictionary, Woodbury, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1975

Acknowledgements

The Committee on Justice and the Community would like to acknowledge: chapter authors Seth H. Agata, Richard W. Babinecz, Judge Gregory W. Carman, Norman Goodman, Elizabeth Hubbard, Barry Kamins, Michael F. McEneney, Douglas G. O¹Brien, Patricia Parker, Judge Richard Lee Price, James J. Roth, Judge Robert J. Ward, and Judge Penny M. Wolfgang; Committee chair, Gregory X. Hesterberg; The Type & Design Center of Latham, NY, artwork and cover design; Frank J. Ciervo, editor; Terri Porter, copy editor; Leslie Dunn, production coordinator; and The New York Bar Foundation for its financial support of this project.

Copyright © 2000 - 2008 New York State Bar Association

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