Legal Terms

• Affidavit An affidavit is a written statement of facts made voluntarily under oath and signed before a notary public or other authorized official.
• Affirmative Defense An affirmative defense is a legal argument in which a defendant admits the basic facts of the accusation but presents new facts or legal reasons that justify or excuse the conduct and defeat the claim.
• Class Action Lawsuit A class action lawsuit is a type of legal action where a large group of people with similar claims sue a defendant together as a single collective case.
• Contempt of Court Contempt of court is the act of disrespecting or disobeying a court's authority, rules, or orders, and can result in fines or imprisonment.
• Defendant A defendant is the party in a lawsuit or criminal prosecution who is accused of wrongdoing and must respond to the claims or charges brought against them.
• Due Process Due process is the constitutional guarantee that the government must follow fair procedures and respect individual rights before depriving a person of life, liberty, or property.
• Eminent Domain Eminent domain is the government's power to take private property for public use, but it must pay the owner just compensation, as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
• Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a legal principle that protects individuals from unlawful detention by requiring authorities to justify in court why a person is being held.
• Injunction An injunction is a court order requiring a party to do something or refrain from doing something, used to prevent harm when money damages would be insufficient.
• Jurisdiction Jurisdiction is the legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case, determined by geography, subject matter, and the parties involved.
• Liability Liability is the legal responsibility to compensate for harm caused to another person or party, whether through negligence, breach of contract, or intentional wrongdoing.
• Lien A lien is a legal claim against a property or asset that serves as security for a debt, giving the lienholder the right to take the property if the debt is not paid.
• Miranda Rights Miranda rights are the legal warnings that U.S. law enforcement must read to a suspect before custodial interrogation, informing them of their right to remain silent and to an attorney.
• Misdemeanor A misdemeanor is a category of crime less serious than a felony, typically punishable by up to one year in a local jail, fines, or probation.
• Parole Parole is the supervised early release of a prisoner before the end of their sentence, conditioned on following specific rules and regularly reporting to a parole officer.
• Plaintiff A plaintiff is the party who initiates a lawsuit in a civil court, claiming to have been harmed by the actions of the defendant.
• Restraining Order A restraining order is a court order that prohibits a person from contacting, approaching, or harassing another person, most commonly used in domestic violence and stalking cases.
• Statute of Limitations The statute of limitations is the deadline by which a lawsuit must be filed or criminal charges brought — after which a claim is legally barred forever.
• Subpoena A subpoena is a legal order requiring a person to appear in court to testify or to produce documents and evidence in a legal proceeding.
• Voir Dire Voir dire is the jury selection process where attorneys and judges question potential jurors to determine whether they can be fair and impartial in a trial.
• Writ of Certiorari A writ of certiorari is an order by the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision, and the primary method by which the Supreme Court exercises its discretionary appellate jurisdiction.
• Deposition A deposition is pre-trial testimony given under oath by a witness or party, recorded for use as evidence during legal proceedings.
• Discovery Discovery is the pre-trial process in a lawsuit where both parties exchange information and evidence relevant to the case, including documents, witness lists, and depositions.
• Felony A felony is the most serious category of crime, typically punishable by more than one year in prison, and carries severe long-term consequences including loss of voting rights and employment opportunities.
• Indictment An indictment is a formal criminal charge issued by a grand jury after reviewing evidence and finding probable cause that a person committed a felony.
• Negligence Negligence is a legal concept where a person fails to exercise reasonable care, resulting in harm to another person, and forms the basis of most personal injury lawsuits.
• Plea Bargain A plea bargain is a negotiated agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant in which the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge or receives a reduced sentence in exchange for avoiding trial.
• Power of Attorney A power of attorney is a legal document that authorizes one person to act on behalf of another in legal, financial, or medical matters.
• Probate Probate is the legal process of validating a deceased person's will and administering their estate, including paying debts and distributing assets to heirs.
• Tort A tort is a civil wrong that causes harm to another person, giving the injured party the right to sue for damages, and includes negligence, assault, fraud, and many other wrongful acts.