detainer. 1. The action of detaining, withholding, or keeping something in one’s custody. forcible detainer. See FORCIBLE DETAINER. unlawful detainer. The unjustifiable retention of the possession of real property by one whose original entry was lawful, as when a tenant holds over after lease termination despite the landlord’s demand for possession. [Cases: Forcible Entry and […]
Department of the Interior. The cabinet-level department of the federal government responsible for managing the nation’s public lands and minerals, national parks, national wildlife refuges, and western water resources, and for upholding federal trust responsibilities to Indian tribes. • The Department also has responsibility for migratory-wildlife conservation; historical preservation; endangered species; surface-mined-lands preservation and restoration;
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cooling time. Criminal law. Time to recover cool blood after great excitement, stress, or provocation, so that one is considered able to contemplate, comprehend, and act with reference to the consequences that are likely to follow. See COOL BLOOD. [Cases: Homicide 669.] “[O]ne who controls his temper time after time, following repeated acts of provocation,
verge (v[schwa]rj), n. Hist. 1. The area within 12 miles of the place where the king held his court and within which the king’s peace was enforced. • This area was commonly referred to as being in the verge. The verge got its name from the staff (called a “verge”) that the marshal bore. 2.
coroner (kor- orkahr-[schwa]-n[schwa]r). 1. A public official whose duty is to investigate the causes and circumstances of any death that occurs suddenly, suspiciously, or violently. See MEDICAL EXAMINER. [Cases: Coroners 1. C.J.S. Coroners and Medical Examiners § 2.] 2. Hist. A royal official with countywide jurisdiction to investigate deaths, to hold inquests, and to assume
fellow-servant rule. A common-law doctrine holding that an employer is not liable for an employee’s injuries caused by a negligent coworker. • This doctrine has generally been abrogated by workers’-compensation statutes. In some jurisdictions, employees were considered fellow servants when they were working with one aim or result in view. In others, the relation of
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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: Obstructing Justice 1;
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synergism (sin-[schwa]r-jiz-[schwa]m), n. Patents. 1. A combination of known elements or functions that create a result greater than the sum of the individual elements or functions. • Demonstrating that synergism exists is sometimes useful in proving nonobviousness. The U.S. Supreme Court held that synergism was a requirement for a combination patent in Great Atl. &
contagion. Int’l law. A discredited doctrine holding that revolution or abhorrent practices in a neighboring state justify its invasion and the overthrow of its government on the grounds of national security. • The doctrine was employed by the Holy Alliance (1815–1848) in Europe to invade countries where revolutions were brewing. — Also termed doctrine of
solicitor general. (usu. cap.) The second-highest-ranking legal officer in a government (after the attorney general); esp., the chief courtroom lawyer for the executive branch. — Abbr. SG. Pl. solicitors general. “By [federal] law, only the Solicitor General or his designee can conduct and argue before the Supreme Court cases ‘in which the United States is