Court terms starting with S

16 terms

  1. Sentence The punishment ordered by a court for a defendant convicted of a crime. See concurrent and consecutive sentences.
  2. Service See Services
  3. Settlement After negotiating, the amount you agree to accept from the insurance company as full payment for your loss.
  4. Standard of proof Indicates the degree to which an aspect of a case must be proven. In a civil case, the burden of proof rests with the plaintiff, who must establish his or…
  5. Standard of Review The legal standard an appellate court uses to review a case on appeal, which determines how much deference the appellate court will show to the lower…
  6. State State means one of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  7. Status offense A class of crimes that concerns the accused’s characteristics; for example - truancy only applies to minors.
  8. Statutory law Laws promulgated by Congress and state legislatures. See case law and common law.
  9. Stay A court order halting an event.
  10. Stipulation An agreement between the parties to settle all or part of the case without further hearings. The stipulation must be approved by the Court.
  11. Subpoena A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  12. subpoena duces tecum A subpoena ordering a person to produce certain documents, records, or other items described therein for evidence (also under penalty for failure to…
  13. Substantiated facts The facts that have been verified.
  14. summary judgment Either party can make a motion (a request) that the Court decide the case based solely on the pleadings or documents that have been filed.
  15. Summons The Order from the Court Administrator to the defendant telling her/him to come to court to respond to the Complaint, which must be attached to the…
  16. Suspended sentence If certain conditions are met, a jail sentence need not be served. The sentence is then suspended.