The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The legal term sexual assault refers to any sexual contact that occurs without the express consent of the recipient. Whether the recipient is physically forced, or coerced to participate, or has refused or is unable to give consent, sexual assault is a serious crime. As a violent crime, sexual assault includes acts of rape, forced kissing or fondling, other non-consensual […]
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 moreManslaughter is the unlawful killing of another human being that occurs when a person kills another, without intent, malice, or forethought. In other words, the killing must have been without prior thought to do harm, or must have occurred “in the heat of passion.” Manslaughter is considered a less culpable crime than murder in most states. To explore this concept, […]
Read moreHomicide is defined as the taking of a person’s life, regardless of the intent or the circumstances surrounding the death. This means that a homicide is not necessarily a murder, but may be caused by an accident, an execution, or even abortion. Homicide itself is not necessarily a crime, though the circumstances that resulted in the individual’s death may raise […]
Read moreRape is the forcing of someone to engage in sexual acts against his or her will. The term date rape refers to rape committed by a person who has had some sort of romantic relationship, or was on a date, with the victim. Date rape is most rampant among college and high school students, where the frequent overuse of alcohol […]
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 moreThe legal term assault refers to an attempt by one person to cause serious bodily harm to another person. This may be through a deliberate act, or through irresponsible actions that show a deliberate lack of respect for the victim’s safety. Assault is also defined as carrying out threat of bodily harm, or having the ability to carry out the […]
Read moreThe unlawful killing of another person, without justification, is referred to as “murder.” The crime of murder is considered by many, to be the most serious crime someone can commit. As such, an individual convicted of murder may be sentenced to serve many years in prison, to serve the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of being […]
Read moreThe term domestic violence refers to abusive behavior in any personal relationship that allows one partner to intimidate, or to gain power and control over the other. This is often thought of to occur between married spouses or in other intimate relationships, but actually refers to any family relationship, or persons living in the same home. Domestic violence includes physical, […]
Read moreThe taking of something of value, whether money or property, from someone through the use or threat of physical force is considered to be robbery. Robbery differs from the crime of burglary in that the victim must have suffered physical harm, or the fear of being harmed. While most people think robbery is a crime committed by bank robbers and […]
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