Question | Answer |
precedent | a ruling of an earlier, similar case |
statute | a written act by the legislative branch of a government |
common law | law that is based on court decisions rather than legal code |
lawsuit | a civil case that goes before a court |
libel | the printing of false, damaging information about someone |
plaintiff | the party who brings legal charges against another |
defendant | the individual or group accuses of a crime |
felony | a crime that carries serious penalties, such as a long prison term |
tort | a civil wrong that may involve an injured person who is seeking relief through damages |
misdemeanor | a lesser offense that carries a jail sentence of less than a year |
burglary | the unlawful entry into any dwelling or structure with the intention to commit a crime |
larceny | taking away another person's property with the intention of never returning it |
constitutional law | the branch of law that deals with the formation, construction, and interpretation of constitutions |
robbery | taking property from someone using forceful threats |
due process of law | law that states that the government may not take the lives, liberty, or property of citizens except through proper exercise of law |
search warrent | a document that gives authorities permission to search private property |
grand jury | a jury that examines serious accusations against a person charges with a crime to determine whether enough evidence exists to bring that person to trial |
stare decisis | "let the decision stand" the process that includes following rules or principles established by earlier judicial decisions |
bill of attainder | a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court |
writ of habeas corpus | if arrested, authorities must take you to court and inform you of what you did wrong |
double jeopardy | a person who is tried for a crime and found not guilty may not be retried for the same crime |
plea bargining | the negotiation that takes place between the defense attorney and the prosecutor so that the defendant may plead guilty to a lesser charge |
ex post facto law | allows a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when the person did it |
bail | a sum of money that an arrested person pays to a court to be released from jail until the trial begins |