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Legal Terms - Part 1
Legal Terms Part 1
| Definition | Term |
|---|---|
| A standard legal reference work, including abbreviations and other materials. | Black's Law Dictionary |
| Papers submitted by attorneys, either pre- or post-trial, explaining or defending their clients positions. | Briefs |
| Primary presentation of evidence by a party | Case in Chief |
| Trial of certain issues separately as guilt/penalty or complaints/damages | Bifurcation |
| Objection to having someone serve as a juror | Challenge |
| Instructions from the judge concerning the law which governs a case. | Charge to the Jury |
| Printed decisions and opinions of appellate jurisdictions. | Case law |
| Federal appellate level immediately below the supreme court. | Circuit Court of Appeal |
| Claim or lien which impairs an owners otherwise free right to use their property. | Cloud on title |
| Federal regulatory agency rules and regulations which implement federal law | Code of Federal Regulations, (C.F.R.) |
| A bar to re-litigating an issue already been tried between the same parties. | Collateral Estoppel |
| Any formal conference conversation, or discussion between lawyers, the judge or other parties during a judicial proceeding. | Colloquy |
| Customary, old or "judge-made" law, as apposed to statutory law. | Common Law |
| Plaintiff's initial pleading which a defendant initially answers. | Complaint |
| One having an interest in a matter who makes an unsworn declaration | Declarant |
| Assertion by a defendant that, although certain facts alleged against them may be true, they do not entitle the plaintiff to prevail. | Demurrer |
| Branch of law dealing with just results in specific cases, not strict general rules. | Equity law |
| Record showing paper maintenance of "real" evidence, such as seized narcotics or weapons, as apposed to mere documents. | Chain of Custody |
| A writ/order by which an appellate court decides to review a case at its discretion. | Writ of Certiorari |
| Well established laws which are free from doubt. | Blackletter law |