The Law Dictionary for Everyone
In the law, the term sodomy refers to anal or oral sex, whether between a man and woman, two women, or two men, and was historically considered to be a criminal act. As recently as the 1960s, all 50 states had laws that made even consensual sodomy illegal, viewing such acts as “crimes against nature,” or deviant sexual acts. By […]
Read moreIn the modern legal system, the term precedent refers to a rule, or principle of law, that has been established by a previous ruling by a court of higher authority, such as an appeals court, or a supreme court. Courts in the U.S. legal system place a high value on making judgments based on consistent rules in similar cases. In […]
Read moreIn its most basic definition, the term terrorism refers to any act that that is perpetrated for the purpose of causing terror. There is no universal definition as to just what acts are considered terrorism, but it is commonly considered to be an action that causes fear and/or harm for a political, ideological, religious, or economic objective. Acts of terrorism deliberately […]
Read moreTax evasion in a crime in which an individual or entity intentionally underpays, or avoids paying, taxes. Every year, each citizen who has income and/or assets is required to file a tax return. Each year many people misrepresent how much money they earned, and claim deductions to which they are not entitled in an effort to keep their money away […]
Read moreIn the practice of law, interrogatories are the most commonly method used in discovery, or in the effort to obtain information from an opposing party to a lawsuit. Interrogatories are written questions posed to the opposing party, for which a response is required, under conditions specified by the jurisdiction’s rules of court procedure. The individual who receives interrogatories in connection […]
Read moreTheft is a criminal act that involves depriving a person of his property. The legal term theft is a very broad term in that it applies to a wide range of crimes, all of which consist of taking of someone’s property, with the intent of permanently depriving him of it. To explore this concept, consider the following theft definition. Definition […]
Read moreA public defender is a lawyer appointed to represent individuals accused of a crime, who are unable to hire an attorney for financial reasons. The U.S. Constitution affords all individuals the right to representation when charged with a crime. If an accused individual cannot afford to hire an attorney, and the state does not provide him with one, he cannot […]
Read moreProstitution meaning in law Prostitution is the criminal act of providing, or offering to provide, sexual services in exchange for compensation. Prostitution laws penalize those who sell sexual services, as well as those who purchase the services. Laws are also in place to punish those who arrange prostitution, or benefit from it in any way. To explore this concept, consider […]
Read moreRape is a crime in which sexual intercourse is committed without consent, through force, threats, or fearful intimidation. In most jurisdictions, the actual crime of rape requires actual sexual penetration. Some states however, have included non-consensual penetration by objects in their rape laws. To explore this concept, consider the following rape definition. Definition of Rape Noun Sexual intercourse with, or […]
Read moreIn its broadest definition, the term evidence refers to anything that is presented to prove something else is true or exists. In the legal system, evidence is any type of proof presented at trial, for the purpose of convincing the judge and/or jury that alleged facts of the case are true. This may include anything from witness testimony to documents, […]
Read more