The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Bankruptcy is a legal process that allows consumers and business entities to eliminate some, or all, of their debts by order of a federal court. While bankruptcy gives individuals and businesses a fresh start, as the court forgives debts that cannot be paid, it also gives creditors an opportunity to get at least partial repayment, based on what assets the […]
Read moreExtortion Meaning in law The term extortion refers to the crime of obtaining money or property by using threats of harm against the victim, or against his property or family. Extortion might involve threats of damage to the victim’s reputation, or to his financial well being. Anything obtained by the use of extortion, including consent, has been illegally obtained, and […]
Read moreIn most jurisdictions, assault and battery is a crime committed when a person attempts to physically harm another person, and acts in a way that causes the victim to fear that he will be harmed. While assault and battery were traditionally classified as two very distinct crimes, modern laws pair them together as one offense. To explore this concept, consider […]
Read moreAccording to the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”), the term cybercrime refers to any illegal activity for which a computer is used as its primary means of commission, transmission, or storage. The list of criminal activities made possible by the widespread use of computers how grown exponentially in recent decades, and includes such acts as dissemination of computer viruses, […]
Read moreBribery is a crime that occurs when a person offers, gives, receives, or accepts something of value in exchange for influence over, or alteration of, another person’s behavior. The bribe itself is the gift of money or other assets, given on the basis that the recipient will act in a certain way that is contrary to what he would do […]
Read moreBank fraud is a criminal act that occurs when a person uses illegal means to receive money or assets from a bank or other financial institution. Bank fraud is distinguished from bank robbery by the fact that the perpetrator keeps the crime secret, in the hope that no one notices until he has gotten away. The term bank fraud also […]
Read morePart of the pre-trial discovery process, a party to a civil lawsuit, or his attorney, may set up a deposition to take the sworn testimony of the opposing party, a witness to the incident, or an expert witness. The actual deposition is a meeting which occurs outside the courtroom, usually at an attorney’s office, and is done before the trial […]
Read moreIn the legal system, the term bail refers to a process in which an individual arrested for a crime is required to pay a specified amount of money to be released from police custody. The amount of money required as bail is generally set by a judge, and is a sufficient sum to ensure the accused will return to court […]
Read moreCredit card fraud is a form of identity theft in which an individual uses someone else’s credit card information to charge purchases, or to withdraw funds from the account. Credit card fraud also includes the fraudulent use of a debit card, and may be accomplished by the theft of the actual card, or by illegally obtaining the cardholder’s account and […]
Read moreA person can adopt a new name if they wish to do so, yet a legal name change must be done according to specific laws, which vary by state. While many states allow an individual to change his or her name simply by using it, banking, credit, and governmental institutions are likely to require proof, in the form of a […]
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