Legal Glossary-English

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ABANDONMENT - ANS-When a parent leaves a child without enough care, supervision, support, or parental contact for an excessive period of time. ABATE - ANS-To put an end to; to cancel out. ABATEMENT ... OF ACTION - ANS-A suit which has been set aside and ended. ABDUCTION - ANS-The offense of taking away a wife, child, or ward, by deceitful persuasion, force, or violence. ABROGATE - ANS-To repeal or cancel an old law using another law or constitutional power. ABSTRACT - ANS-A summary of what a court or government agency does. In Traffic, document that is sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to update driving record. ABSTRACT OF JUDGMENT - ANS-Summary of the court's final decision. Can be used as a lien if you file it with the county recorder. ABSTRACT OF RECORD - ANS-Short form of the case. ABUSE - ANS-(1) immoderate or improper use; (2) to do physical, sexual, or psychological harm to someone. ABUSE OF PROCESS - ANS-Misuse of the power of the court. ACCESSORY - ANS-A person who helps someone else commit a crime, either before or after the crime. ACCIDENT AND MISFORTUNE - An unintentional event; unforeseen event causing misfortune. ACCOMPLICE - A person that helps someone else commit a crime. Can be on purpose or not. ACCORD - ANS-A satisfaction agreed upon between the parties in a lawsuit, which prevents further actions after the claim. ACCORD AND SATISFACTION - ANS-Agreement by the parties to settle a claim or dispute in which the parties typically agree to give or accept something. ACCRUAL - ANS-The total amount of child support payments that are owed or that are late. ACCUSATION - ANS-A formal charge against a person. ACCUSED - ANS-The person that is charged with a crime and has to go to criminal court. (See DEFENDANT). - ANS- ACKNOWLEDGMENT - ANS-Saying, testifying, or assuring that something is true. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SATISFACTION OF JUDGMENT - ANS-A court form that the person who wins the case must fill out, sign, and file with the court when the judgment is fully paid. If there are no liens, the back of the Notice of Entry of Judgment can be signed and filed with the court (See JUDGMENT CREDITOR, JUDGMENT.) ACQUIT - ANS-To legally find the innocence of a person charged with a crime. To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, burden or accusation. To find a defendant not guilty in a criminal trial. ACQUITTAL - ANS-When a judge or jury finds that the person on trial is not guilty. ACTION - ANS-In court, when one person sues someone else to, defend or enforce a right, stop something bad from happening or fix something, or punish them for a crime. ACTION IN PERSONAM - ANS-Proceeding against the person for the recovery of a specific object, usually an item of personal property such as an automobile. ACTION IN REM - ANS-Proceeding "against the thing" as compared to personal actions (in personam). Usually a proceeding where property is involved. ACTIVE STATUS - ANS-A case that is in court but is not settled or decided has active status. (See DISPOSITION, PENDING.) - ANS- ACTUAL LOSS - ANS-This is a showing that the plaintiff or injured party has undergone some loss of property or other thing of value by reason of fraud, forgery, or other illegal action. For the crime of forgery the existence of a specific intent to defraud is an essential element; however, there is no requirement of actual loss to complete the crime. AD LITEM - ANS-Comes from Latin meaning for the "purposes of the lawsuit." For example, a guardian ad litem is a person appointed by the court to protect the interests of a minor or legally incompetent person in a lawsuit. ADD - ANS-ON - Refers to an additional matter that is added to a specific calendar at a time after the initial preparation of the calendar. ADDENDUM - ANS-A thing added or to be added. ADDICTION - ANS-A person who has become emotionally dependent on the use of a drug and the effect is an irresistible need to continue its use and has developed a tolerance to the drug and requires larger stronger doses. ADDITUR - ANS-The power of a trial court to increase the amount of an award of money to one party made by jury verdict, as a condition of denial of motion for new trial. The defendant must consent to the increased money award, the plaintiff need not consent. ADHESION CONTRACTS - ANS-Contract where one party has no real choice as to its terms. ADJOURNMENT - To put off a court hearing until another time or place. ADJUDICATE - When a judge hears and decides a case. ADJUDICATION - ANS-The judge's decision in a case or action. ADMIN PER SE - ANS-Latin meaning,"by itself, inherently." Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to automatically suspend or cancel the driver's license of a driver whose blood alcohol content measures more than .08%, or who refuses to take a test to measure his/her blood alcohol level. ADMINISTER - ANS-(1) to manage; (2) taking a drug by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or any other means, to the body for that person's immediate needs. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE - ANS-The way an executive government agency makes and enforces support orders without going to court. [Show More]

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