Descriptionary

gag order a court order restricting outside com­ments about a case.

garnish to attach wages or other property.

graft profiting dishonestly from public money through one's political connections.

grand jury a jury of 12 to 23 persons employed to evaluate accusations and persons charged with crimes to determine whether a trial is warranted.

gratis given without reward; free, for nothing.

gross of behavior, willful, inexcusable.

habeas corpus the common-law writ designed to prevent unjust imprisonment; law enforcement authorities must obtain a judicial determination of the legality of putting a particular person in custody.

hearing a preliminary judicial investigation of evi­dence to determine issues of fact.

hearsay rule a rule holding that evidence based on the statements of those other than testifying witnesses is inadmissible.

homicide the killing of one person by another.

hostile witness any biased witness whose testimony may be prejudiced against a court opponent.

hung jury an indecisive jury that cannot agree on a verdict.

ignorantia legis non excusat ignorance of the law is no excuse.

immaterial irrelevant.

immunity immunity from prosecution or exemp­tion from a rule or penalty, sometimes granted to wit­nesses to get them to testify.

impaneling the jury selection process. Also, a list of those serving on a jury.

impeach to charge a public official with malfea­sance while in office.

implied consent consent presumed or inferred from someone's action, inaction, or silence.

impound to place something in the custody of the police or other authority.

in articulo mortis in the moment of death.

in camera proceedings held in a judge's chambers or out of public view.

indictment a written statement formally charging one with a crime and submitted to a grand jury.

inferior court any court whose decisions may be judged by a higher court.

in invitum against the will of another.

injunction a court order that prohibits someone from carrying out a particular action.

injuria non excusat injuriam one wrong doesn't justify another wrong.

inquest a judicial inquiry. Also, a coroner's inquiry into a cause of death.

interrogation police questioning of suspects.

journalist's privilege the privilege of the media in some cases to keep sources of information confidential.

J.P. justice of the peace.

jump bail to fail to appear in court after posting bail.

jural pertaining to law and justice.

jurisprudence the science and philosophy of law.

jury of the vicinage a jury selected from the neigh­borhood where the crime was committed.

justice synonymous with judge.

laches a doctrine providing a defense to the defen­dant when the opposing party has delayed prosecu­tion for an unusual amount of time.

larceny stealing.

leading question a query by lawyers in which the question to a witness suggests the wanted answer; allowed in court only in cross-examination.

libel malicious publication of falsehoods that defame a person.

lien a claim or hold on the property of another that secures a debt.

litigants the parties involved in a lawsuit. litigation legal process.

loan sharking loaning money with extremely high interest rates.

majority, age of when one legally becomes adult, usually considered to be age 18.

malfeasance a wrongful act.

malice the desire to harm others; an act performed with the willful disregard for the welfare of others.

malice aforethought a thought-out design, without justification, to harm others; the state of mind that distinguishes murder from manslaughter.

malicious arrest the arrest of a person without probable cause.

malicious prosecution an action to collect damages caused by a previous prosecution without probable cause and with malice.

malum in se an act that is illegal because it is inherently evil as judged by society. See malum pro­hibitum.

malum prohibitum an act that is illegal because it is prohibited by law for the welfare of the public and not necessarily evil.

mandate an order issued from a superior court to a lesser court.

manslaughter the killing of another without malice aforethought.

manslaughter, voluntary killing in the heat of passion.

manslaughter, involuntary killing someone acci­dentally, as through reckless driving.

material relevant, important.

material witness a witness whose testimony is abso­lutely vital to a case.

matricide the killing of one's mother.

mediation the settling of disputes out of court.