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A legal doctrine that makes each of the parties who are responsible for an injury, liable for all the damages awarded in a lawsuit if the other parties responsible cannot pay.
- Browse Related Terms: Ad damnum, Court costs, Cross-claim, damages, Injunction, Joint and several liability, Punitive damages, Small Claims Court, Third party complaint
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A form of legal co-ownership of property (also known as survivorship). At the death of one coowner, the surviving co-owner becomes sole owner of the property. Tenancy by the entirety is a special form of joint tenancy between a husband and wife.
- Browse Related Terms: Abstract of title, Condemnation, Esquire, In loco parentis, Joint tenancy, Proprietor, Quiet title action, Restitution, survivorship, Title, Vacantia bona
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An official of the judicial branch with authority to decide lawsuits brought before courts. Used generically, the term judge may also refer to all judicial officers, including Supreme Court justices.
A presiding officer of the court.
Government official with authority to decide lawsuits brought before courts. Judicial officers of the Supreme Court and the highest court in each state are called justices.
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The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit.
The official and authentic decision of a court of justice upon the rights and claims of parties to an action submitted to the court for determination. See summary judgment.
The official decision of a court finally resolving the dispute between the parties to the lawsuit.
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In a case in which the plaintiff has failed to present on the facts of his case proper evidence for jury consideration, the trial judge may order the entry of a verdict without allowing the jury to consider it.
- Browse Related Terms: Alias, Challenge for cause, Consent, Hung jury, Judgment as a matter of law, jury, Jury Administrator, jury pool, Mistrial, panel, Peremptory challenge, Polling the jury, Res ipsa loquitur, voir dire, witness
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One who owes money as a result of a judgment in favor of a creditor.
- Browse Related Terms: Adjudication, Conviction, Culpa, In pari delicto, Inculpatory Evidence, Judgment debtor, judicial lien, Judicium
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A lien obtained by judgment or other judicial process against a debtor.
- Browse Related Terms: Adjudication, Conviction, Culpa, In pari delicto, Inculpatory Evidence, Judgment debtor, judicial lien, Judicium
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The authority of a court to review the official actions of other branches of government. Also, the authority to declare unconstitutional the actions of other branches.
- Browse Related Terms: Court, Court rules, discharge, Involuntary bankruptcy, Judicial review, Notice to creditors, Probate, Probate court, probation officers (or pretrial services officers)
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The branch of government invested with judicial power to interpret and apply the law; the court system; the body of judges.
- Browse Related Terms: BAR, Bench, Chief Judge, Clerk of Court, Contempt of court, Continuance, initial hearing, judge, Judiciary, law clerk (or staff attorney), librarian, Magistrate, magistrate judge, magistrate judges, minute book, opinion, Order, Precedent, Preliminary hearing, pretrial services, United States Magistrate Judge
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Judgment.
- Browse Related Terms: Adjudication, Conviction, Culpa, In pari delicto, Inculpatory Evidence, Judgment debtor, judicial lien, Judicium
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Certificate of person and officer before whom a writing is sworn to.
- Browse Related Terms: Alien, contract, Domicile, Guardian, Immigrants, Immigration, Inter vivos, Jurat, Naturalization, Voidable
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The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case; The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. Some issues can be heard in both state and federal courts. The plaintiff initially decides where to bring the suit, but in some cases, the defendant can seek to change the court. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases. A federal court in one state, for example, can usually only decide a case that arose from actions in that state.
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The power or authority of a court to hear and try a case with respect to an individual.
- Browse Related Terms: Action, Calendar, Decision, equitable, federal question, federal question jurisdiction, General Jurisdiction, Hearing, Jurisdiction, Jurisdiction, Personal, Jurisdiction, Subject Matter, Limited Jurisdiction, Referee, Rehearing, Removal, Strict liability, United States Court of Appeals, United States Court of Claims, United States Court of International Trade, United States District Courts, United States Marshals Service
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The power or authority of a court to hear and try a case.
- Browse Related Terms: Action, Calendar, Decision, equitable, federal question, federal question jurisdiction, General Jurisdiction, Hearing, Jurisdiction, Jurisdiction, Personal, Jurisdiction, Subject Matter, Limited Jurisdiction, Referee, Rehearing, Removal, Strict liability, United States Court of Appeals, United States Court of Claims, United States Court of International Trade, United States District Courts, United States Marshals Service
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The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
The study of law and the structure of the legal system.
- Browse Related Terms: Bankruptcy law, Cases, charge, Civil law, Corpus juris, Crime, Custodia legis, De Jure, De minimis non curat lex, Directed verdict, Ex lege, Facto, Family law, Intentional tort, Ipso jure, jurisprudence, Jus civile, Jus commune, Jus divinum, Law Clerk, Legislation, Legitimate, Lex, Lex domicili, Lex loci, Lex scripta, Mitigation, Research, Secundum legem, Statutory law
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A person who is on the jury.
- Browse Related Terms: Affiant, Capita, Cause of action, Cestui que use, Commit, Conveyance, Enjoining, in forma pauperis, In personam, Inter alios, juror, Legal aid, Minor, Misfeasance, No-contest, Paralegal, Persona, Praecipe, Proxy, Public defender, Standing, Testator
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Persons selected according to law and sworn to inquire into and declare a verdict on matters of fact. State court juries can be as small as six jurors in some cases. Federal juries for civil suits must have six jurors criminal suits must have twelve.
The group of persons selected to hear the evidence in a trial and render a verdict on matters of fact. See also grand jury.
A certain number of men and women selected according to law and sworn to try a question of fact or indict a person for public offense.
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The court officer responsible for choosing the panel of persons to serve as potential jurors for a particular court term.
- Browse Related Terms: Alias, Challenge for cause, Consent, Hung jury, Judgment as a matter of law, jury, Jury Administrator, jury pool, Mistrial, panel, Peremptory challenge, Polling the jury, Res ipsa loquitur, voir dire, witness
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A judge's directions to the jury before it begins deliberations regarding the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules that it must apply.
A judge's explanation to the jury before it begins deliberations of the questions it must answer and the law governing the case. Each party suggests jury instructions to the judge, but the judge chooses the final wording.
- Browse Related Terms: Additur, Bailiff, bench trial, Challenge, chambers, charge to the jury, Charge, jury, evidence, Finding, Finis, grand jury, In camera, Instructions, jury instructions, Non-jury trial, petit jury (or trial jury), pretrial conference, Remittitur, Sequester, Sidebar, Verdict
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The group of people from which the actual jury is chosen. The jury pool is randomly selected from a source such as voter registration banks. Lawyers in the case choose the actual jurors from the jury pool through a process called voir dire.
- Browse Related Terms: Alias, Challenge for cause, Consent, Hung jury, Judgment as a matter of law, jury, Jury Administrator, jury pool, Mistrial, panel, Peremptory challenge, Polling the jury, Res ipsa loquitur, voir dire, witness