The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The Foraker Act is a law that allowed the U.S. to establish a form of government in Puerto Rico. For example, the Foraker Act allowed the President of the United States to establish a government, consisting of 11 members and a governor, on the island of Puerto Rico. The Foraker Act passed after the U.S. took possession of Puerto Rico […]
Read moreThe term “judicial branch” refers to the branch of the U.S. government responsible for interpreting and applying existing laws to the cases that come before it. For example, the judicial branch decides everything from criminal and civil cases and applies the laws of the jurisdiction, as well as the Constitution to them. The most important arm of this important branch […]
Read moreThe term “prison” refers to the institution where individuals convicted of crimes spend a definite amount of time, having lost their freedom until their sentences are over. For example, prison is where people go who have committed crimes like murder or drug trafficking. While jail is more of a temporary holding cell until individuals post bail, or await trial, prison […]
Read moreThe term “false accusation” refers to an accusation of wrongdoing that is false, or untrue. An example of false accusation would be for a woman to accuse a man of raping her when he did nothing of the sort. Telling a false accusation is a crime punishable with jail time, particularly if the person lies to police or while under […]
Read moreThe term Order of Protection refers to a document issued by a court to protect victims of domestic abuse. The order limits the adverse party’s behavior by specifying the conduct allowed and prohibited. Failure to comply with an order can result in arrest and prosecution. To explore this concept, consider the following Order of Protection definition. Definition of Order of […]
Read moreThe term “freedom of assembly” refers to the right of the people to peacefully organize without having to fear government interference. For example, freedom of assembly refers to an individual’s right to join a protest without having to fear the government shutting the protest down. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects individuals who wish to assemble in order […]
Read moreThe term “capital punishment” refers to the death penalty, which is the punishment for a crime by death. For example, capital punishment methods can include lethal injection, the electric chair or hanging. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of putting people to death, such that each state has different laws regarding this ultimate penalty. To explore […]
Read moreThe term “crime of passion” refers to a criminal act that a person commits out of heartbreak or anger. For example, a crime of passion would be if a person shot his ex-wife in a jealous rage because he caught her cheating on him with another man. This is the most common example of a crime of passion because the […]
Read moreThe term criminal mischief refers to the crime of damaging another person’s property. Governed by state laws, the offense also involves the defacement, destruction, or alteration of property with criminal intent. Criminal mischief examples include vandalism and graffiti. To explore this concept, consider the following criminal mischief definition. Definition of Criminal Mischief Noun The damage, defacement, destruction, or alternation of […]
Read moreThe term “felonious assault,” or “assault with a dangerous weapon,” is the act of attacking another person with a weapon that could inflict serious injury or death. For example, felonious assault occurs when someone points a gun at someone, or threatens to stab him with a knife. To “assault” someone means to cause them to feel an immediate fear that […]
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