A written direction or command delivered by a court or judge.
The section of a courthouse in which the judge presides over the proceedings.
The quality in a witness which makes his or her testimony believable.
1. An act of omission or commission in violation of law which carries criminal consequences. 2. Criminal activity in general relating to a specific time or place.
1. One who has been convicted of a criminal offense. 2. That which is connected with the law of crimes; That which has the character of a crime (criminal justice; criminal intent).
A case brought by the government against a person accused of committing a crime.
1. Arrest record. A written account listing all the instances in which a person has been arrested. 2. A form completed by a police officer when a person is arrested.
An order commanding an accused to appear in court.
A claim by codefendant or co-plaintiffs against each other and not against persons on the opposite side of the lawsuit.
The questioning of a witness produced by the other side.
Sentences for two or more crimes to run consecutively, rather than concurrently.
A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
1. The care and control of a thing or person for inspection, preservation, or security. 2. The care, control, and maintenance of a child awarded by a court to one of the parents in a divorce or separation proceeding. 3. The detention of a person by virtue of lawful process or authority.
Money awarded by a court to a person injured by the unlawful act or negligence of another person.
State-imposed death as punishment for a serious crime. Capital punishment .
The area of a state or federal prison where criminals who are sentenced to death are confined until their sentence is commuted or carried out.
The judgment reached or given by a court of law.
A judgment of the court that explains what the existing law is or expresses the opinion of the court without the need for enforcement.
An order of the court. A final decree is one that fully and finally disposes of the litigation. An interlocutory decree is a preliminary order that often disposes of only part of a lawsuit.
That which tends to injure a person's reputation. Libel is published defamation, whereas slander is spoken.
A failure to respond to a lawsuit within the specified time.
A judgment entered against a party who fails to appear in court, respond to the charges, or does not comply with an order, especially an order to provide or permit discovery.
In some states, the highest appellate court, where it is the Court's discretion whether to hear the case on appeal.
1. In a criminal case, the person accused of the crime. 2. In a civil case, the person being sued.
1. Federal - A trial court with general Federal jurisdiction. 2. State - Meaning varies from state to state.
A court having jurisdiction over cases involving children under a specified age, usually 18. Cases generally involve delinquent, dependent, and neglected children.
A court having jurisdiction (usually civil and criminal) over cases arising within the city or community in which it sits.
A specialized court that deals with cases during the late evening and early morning hours.
Meaning varies from state to state.
A specialized court that hears crimes dealing with traffic offenses.