Common Legal Terms terms starting with D

45 terms

damages Money awarded to a person injured by the wrongful act of another person.
Damnum absque injuria Legally noncompensable loss.
Datum (Pl. data) An item or thing given; a date.
De bene esse Conditionally or provisionally; for what it is worth.
De facto In fact; an actuality.
De Jure By law; valid in law.
De minimis non curat lex The law does not care about mere trifles.
De Novo (dih NO-vo) In cancer, the first occurrence of cancer in the body.
Debtor Someone who owes monies to another party.
Decision The opinion of the court in concluding a case at law.
Declaratory judgment A statutory remedy for judicial determination of a controversy where a party is in doubt about his/her legal rights.
Decree An order of the court. A final decree is one that fully and finally disposes of the litigation. See interlocutory.
Defamation That which tends to injure a person's reputation. See libel and slander.
Default Default occurs when a debtor is unable to meet the legal obligation of debt repayment, one form of which is the failure to promptly pay interest or…
default judgment A judgment rendered because of the defendants failure to answer or appear.
Defendant An individual (or business) against whom a lawsuit is filed.
Defense of property Affirmative defense in criminal law or tort law where force was used to protect one's property.
defense table The table where the defense lawyer sits with the defendant in the courtroom.
Deficient Incomplete; defective; not sufficient in quantity or force.
Defunct A corporation no longer operative; having ceased to exist.
Demurrer A pleading filed by the defendant which alleges that the complaint as filed is not sufficient to require an answer.
Dependent A qualifying child or qualifying relative, other than the taxpayer or spouse, who entitles the taxpayer to claim a dependency exemption.
Deposition An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths.
Dictum (Pl. dicta) A judicial opinion on a point of law which is not necessary for the court's decision in a particular case.
Digests Legal volumes that contain summaries of cases arranged alphabetically by topic.
Direct evidence Among other things, proof of facts by witnesses who saw acts done or heard words spoken.
Direct examination The first questioning of witnesses by the party on whose behalf they are called.
Directed verdict See judgment as a matter of law.
Disbarment Form of discipline of a lawyer resulting in the loss (often permanently) of that lawyer's right to practice law. See censure or suspension.
Discharge (DIS-charj) In medicine, a fluid that comes out of the body. Discharge can be normal or a sign of disease.
Disclaim To refuse a gift made in a will.
Discovery This is when the Court orders each party (each side) to give each other information about the facts before the trial, to avoid surprise.
Dismissal Process by which a court will terminate a case. With Prejudice - cannot refile. Without Prejudice - can refile at a later date.
Dissent To disagree. An appellate court opinion setting forth the minority view and outlining the disagreement of one or more judges with the decision of the…
Dissolution The termination; process of dissolving or winding up something.
Diversion The process of removing some minor criminal, traffic or juvenile cases from the full judicial process, on the condition that the accused undergo some sort…
Diversity of citizenship The condition when the party on one side of a lawsuit is a citizen of one state and the other party is a citizen of another state; such cases may be under…
docket A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
Docket control A system for keeping track of deadlines and court dates for both litigation and non-litigation matters.
Domicile Your domicile is your permanent residence, which you demonstrate by using it as your primary home, holding a driver's license using that address, and…
Double jeopardy Putting a person on trial more than once for the same crime. It is forbidden by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Duces Tecum Bring with you.
Due process of law The right of all persons to receive the guarantees and safeguards of the law and the judicial process.
Durante Pending or during.
Durante vita During life.