The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The term “consent decree” is used to describe a formal agreement that resolves a dispute between parties without attributing blame to the parties. For example, a consent decree is signed without either party admitting to guilt in a criminal matter, or liability in a civil matter. The majority of settlement agreements in civil cases in the U. S. are consent […]
Read moreThe term “bona fide” is used to describe something that is presented as authentic or real. For example, a bona fide purchaser is someone who has no reason to raise suspicions that he should not be allowed to purchase a parcel of property. It also speaks to innocence on the purchaser’s part that he has not done anything to cause […]
Read moreThe term “adjudication” is used to describe the formal giving of a judgment or decision by a judge in a court of law. For example, an adjudication is made after all of the applicable evidence has been reviewed, including the legal arguments put forth by both sides’ attorneys. Once all of that information has been collectively weighed, the judge is […]
Read moreThe term “exonerated” is used to describe a person who has been convicted of a crime, only to be declared innocent after the fact. When someone is exonerated, this makes for an especially difficult situation if the person has spent many years in prison, or who has already been executed as the result of his sentence. In its simplest terms, […]
Read moreThe term “amnesty” is used to describe the government’s act of forgiving a person for something he did wrong. For example, amnesty can refer to the government’s forgiveness of illegal immigrants (also known as undocumented migrants) for crimes they committed to enter a country. The government can also forgive people who haven’t paid their taxes once those payments have been […]
Read moreThe term “indigent” is used to describe a person who is too poor to afford to pay someone to help them. In the law, this would apply to someone who could not afford to hire a lawyer. If the court finds a person to be indigent, it will order legal aid to represent the person. A person can only be […]
Read moreThe Latin term sui juris, which can also be written as “sui iuris,” is translated to mean “of one’s own right.” It is used to describe a person who is not under any legal disability, or subject to the authority of another person. He is fully capable of managing his own affairs and can act on his own behalf. The […]
Read moreThe term seriatim can be literally translated from Latin to mean “one after another,” like in a series. For example, seriatim can be used to refer to the manner in which certain issues or facts are discussed. This means that the facts or issues are discussed individually and in order, taking one fact or issue into account at a time. […]
Read moreThe term “willfully” means that an act is committed voluntarily and purposefully, with a clear intention to break the law. For example, willfully driving in a reckless manner means that the person who is driving recklessly intends to do so, despite knowing that what he is doing is dangerous and illegal, and that there may be consequences for his actions. […]
Read moreThe Latin term res gestae literally translates to mean “things done.” Res gestae is used to refer to a declaration that is made at an event that proves the event happened because the words were uttered upon witnessing the event. For example, res gestae would exist if a person yelled “FIRE!” upon noticing that a fire had broken out in […]
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