The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005). Case Summary of Roper v. Simmons: Simmons, age 17, planned and committed a capital murder. He was sentenced to death. His direct appeal and petitions for relief were rejected. When the Supreme Court decided Atkins v. Virginia in 2002 (barring executions for the mentally disabled), Simmons filed a new […]
Read moreA pillory is a wooden device, with holes cut out for a person’s head and hands to be stuck through. Similar to a “stocks, the pillory was used historically to punish someone for an offense, through public humiliation. Pillories were also used to physically abuse people. To explore this concept, consider the following pillory definition. Definition of Pillory Noun A […]
Read moreImprisonment is the act of taking away someone’s freedom, though this does not always mean that the person is physically locked up in a jail cell. Imprisonment can be carried out for any reason, whether it’s with the permission of the government, or by a person who acts without any authority. If the latter is true, then the imprisonment is […]
Read moreA military discharge is given to each person who leaves his or her military service. The discharge certificate specifies the conditions under which the individual left the military – whether at the completion of his term of service, or whether the individual was forced to leave early due to a medical or other reason. Should the individual be discharged for […]
Read moreThe term delinquency refers to either something that is late in being done, such as making a late credit card payment, or to improper or criminal behavior. In a legal context, delinquency is most often used in reference to the disorderly or illegal actions engaged in by a youth. Juvenile delinquency is grouped into two categories, one more serious than […]
Read moreProbation is a sentence handed down to offenders in lieu of jail time. While on probation, the offender is allowed to continue living in the community as long as he follows the terms and conditions outlined by the judge or the probation officer to which he is assigned. Probation is often reserved for first time offenders who commit non-violent crimes, […]
Read moreThe term “revocation” refers to the recall, cancellation, or annulment of something that has been granted, such as a privilege, an offer, or a contract. There are many forms of revocation, and the term applies to issues in civil as well as criminal law. For example, an offer may be revoked, privileges in military service may be revoked, and the […]
Read moreIn law, restitution is often ordered by a court in order to achieve fairness, preventing the unjust enrichment of one party to a civil lawsuit. In addition, restitution is often ordered in criminal sentencing, requiring the defendant to make monetary amends, or perform some act that benefits the victim of the crime, or the public in general. Restitution in a […]
Read moreSentencing guidelines provide a system for handing down uniform or consistent sentences for similar crimes in various jurisdictions. Created by the United States Sentencing Commission to be incorporated in each state’s criminal code, sentencing guidelines help eliminate confusion among judges in determining the proper punishment for a person convicted of a crime. Sentencing guidelines take into consideration the nature of […]
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