The Law Dictionary for Everyone
To “enjoin” something means to legally forbid or put a stop to it, by an order of the court. For example, enjoin can refer to a husband seeking a court order to stop his wife from selling off their possessions while their divorce is in progress, so that she does not sell all of his stuff out of spite. The […]
Read moreThe Latin term mala in se translates to mean “wrong in itself,” or “evil in itself.” In the legal system, mala in se refers to acts that are inherently wrong, or an act that is wrong in and of itself. This is in contrast to mala prohibita, which is an act that is wrong because it is prohibited by law. […]
Read moreThe term “general deterrence” refers to the practice of instilling fear in people in the hopes that such fear will prevent them from committing crimes in the future. This is done by making an example of offenders through their punishments. The focus is not on the offender individually; rather, the offender is punished publicly to prevent others who may have […]
Read moreAn indeterminate sentence is a sentence that does not assign a set amount of jail time. For example, an indeterminate sentence specifies a range, such as “5 to 10 years,” or “15 years to life,” instead of sentencing someone to a set number of years in prison. An indeterminate sentence is the opposite of a determinate sentence, which assigns a […]
Read moreThe term “insider trading” is used to describe the buying and selling activities of an individual who has information about a stock that has not been made public. While the term is typically associated with illegal activity, insider trading can actually be done legally, depending on when the investor makes the trade. Insider trading is generally illegal due to the […]
Read moreThe phrase “determinate sentencing” means that an offender is sentenced to a specific amount of time in jail upon his conviction. Determinate sentencing is only used in a handful of states. Most of the country instead relies on indeterminate sentencing, which is a sentencing that refers to a range of time, rather than a set period. To explore this concept, […]
Read moreHonorable discharge is the status a military service member receives when he has successfully and wholly completed the obligations excepted of him or her. For example, honorable discharge means that a veteran is relieved from having to participate in any military service obligations in the future, though being discharged from the military is not the same as being retired. On […]
Read moreAn implied contract is a contract that exists based on the actions of those involved. Though it is not a written or spoken contract, it is just as legal. A contract is assumed to exist based on the behaviors of the parties to it. An example of an implied contract is an implied warranty that goes into effect upon the […]
Read moreA witness is referred to as a “hostile witness” if he refuses to tell the truth in a court of law after having previously sworn that he would; or if he is open against the party who called him as a witness. The side that calls the witness, be it the prosecution or the defense, believes the witness will provide […]
Read moreThe term inchoate crimes refers to acts engaged in toward the commission of a criminal act, or which amount to indirect participation in a criminal act. While such an action may not be a crime in and of itself, it is engaged in for the purpose of furthering or advancing a crime. These types of acts are illegal because it […]
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