The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Litigation meaning in law When a person, business, or entity enters into a lawsuit, whether they have filed the lawsuit, or are responding to it, they are entering into a process known as “litigation.” Lawsuits or “actions” are brought before the court for the purpose of enforcing a particular right. The process of litigation is actually a series of steps […]
Read moreEmbezzlement is a crime that takes place when a person purposely withholds or uses assets and monies for a purpose other than for what it is intended. Also referred to as “financial fraud” or “larceny,” embezzlement is typically committed by an employee who is in charge of an agency or company’s finances, or a person who has responsibilities pertaining to […]
Read moreCivil law is a body of rules that defines and protects the private rights of citizens, offers legal remedies that may be sought in a dispute, and covers areas of law such as contracts, torts, property and family law. Civil law is derived from the laws of ancient Rome which used doctrines to develop a code that determined how legal […]
Read moreAffirmative action refers to a set of procedures implemented for the purpose of eliminating discrimination in educational and employment opportunities. Amounting to “positive discrimination,” the policy creates favor toward members of disadvantaged groups believed to have suffered discrimination in society. Affirmative action is the result of President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 executive order requiring government employers and contractors to “take […]
Read moreThe exclusionary rule prevents the government from presenting evidence in trial which was gathered in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s protection against illegal search and seizure. A doctrine commonly used in American courts, the exclusionary rule discourages police and other law enforcement agents from obtaining evidence illegally. The court will suppress or ban evidence that was gathered in violation of […]
Read moreAn arraignment is a hearing at which a person accused of a crime is called before the court to hear the charges against him. In many jurisdictions, the first appearance a defendant makes before the court, often for the purpose of requesting bail, is referred to as an arraignment, however a true arraignment occurs after the defendant has been arrested […]
Read moreThe Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids the taking of private property for public use without “just compensation.” The authority of Federal, state, and local governments to take private property for public use, providing just compensation to the owner, is called “eminent domain.” Real estate, or land, is not the only property subject to eminent domain law, but water […]
Read moreArbitration is a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution in which the parties work out the disputed issue without going to court. An impartial third party, known as an Arbitrator, is chosen by the parties to listen to their case and make a decision. The meeting takes place outside court, but is much like a hearing, in that both sides present […]
Read moreAn acquittal is a formal acknowledgement that the prosecutor in a criminal case failed to prove the accused was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. While a jury may find the defendant “not guilty,” an acquittal does not necessarily prove the defendant’s innocence. Because of this, a person acquitted in a criminal court may still be sued in a civil court, […]
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