impairing the morals of a minor. The offense of an adult’s engaging in sex-related acts, short of intercourse, with a minor. • Examples of this conduct are fondling, taking obscene photographs, and showing pornographic materials. — Also termed unlawful sexual conduct with a minor; corrupting; corruption of a minor. Cf. CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF […]
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embracer (im-brays-[schwa]r). [fr. Old French embraseor “one who kindles or instigates,” fr. embraser “to set fire to”] The bribe-giver in the offense of embracery; one who attempts to influence a judge or a juror by means of corruption. — Also spelled embraceor.
obstruction of justice. Interference with the orderly administration of law and justice, as by giving false information to or withholding evidence from a police officer or prosecutor, or by harming or intimidating a witness or juror. • Obstruction of justice is a crime in most jurisdictions. — Also termed obstructing justice; obstructing public justice. [Cases:
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litem suam facere (lI-tem s[y]oo-[schwa]m fay-s[schwa]-ree). [Latin “to make a suit one’s own”] Roman law. (Of a judex) to fail in his official duty through imprudence, such as not adhering to the formula, or not following due procedure. • This failure amounted to misconduct in the judex’s duties, and a litigant was given a private
corrupt, adj. 1. Archaic. (Of a person) subject to corruption of blood. “[T]here are divers offences made Treason by Act of Parliament, whereof, though a Man be Attaint, yet his Blood, by Provisoes therein, is not corrupt, nor shall he forfeit any thing….” Thomas Blount, Nomo-Lexicon: A Law-Dictionary (1670). 2. Having an unlawful or depraved
embrace, vb. To attempt to influence (a judge or juror) by corruption, or to behave in a way that might have a corrupting influence on a judge or juror; to engage in embracery.
A jury consisting of jurors who are selected for their special qualities, such as advanced education or special training, sometimes used in a complex civil case (usu. by stipulation of the parties) and sometimes also for a grand jury (esp. one investigating governmental corruption). • A blue-ribbon jury is not allowed in criminal trials because
stuprum (st[y]oo-pr[schwa]m), n. [Latin] Roman & civil law. Disgrace by unchastity; a man’s illegal sexual intercourse with a woman, usu. a virgin or widow, or with a male (pederasty). Pl. stupra. “The law refers to stuprum and adultery indiscriminately and with rather a misuse of terms. But properly speaking adultery is committed with a married
intra (in-tr[schwa]), adv. & adj.[Latin] Within. Cf. INFRA. “The use of infra (below) in the sense and place of intra (within) is a corruption of very ancient date…. The expression ‘under age’ (the correct literal translation of infra aetatem) indeed, is of more common occurrence than ‘within age.’ But the use of infra in the
starr (stahr), n. [fr. Latin starrum fr. Hebrew sh’tar “a writing”] Hist. A Jewish contract (esp. for release of an obligation) that Richard I declared to be invalid unless it was placed in a lawful repository, the largest being in the king’s Exchequer at Westminster. Pl. starra, starrs. “It is well known that, before the