test paper. A writing that has been proved genuine and submitted to a jury as a standard by which to determine the authenticity of other writings. • The court decides the test paper’s authenticity as a matter of law before it is used by the jury. Direct evidence, such as a witness to the writing’s […]
Evidence regarding someone’s general personality traits or propensities, of a praiseworthy or blameworthy nature; evidence of a person’s moral standing in a community. Fed. R. Evid. 404, 405, 608. • Character evidence is usu., but not always, prohibited if offered to show that the person acted in conformity with that character. [Cases: Criminal Law 375;
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incompetency, n. Lack of legal ability in some respect, esp. to stand trial or to testify (once the defense lawyer established her client’s incompetency, the client did not have to stand trial). — Also termed incompetence; mental incompetence. Cf. INCAPACITY. [Cases: Homicide 816; Witnesses 35. C.J.S. Witnesses §§ 87–88, 90, 92.] — incompetent, adj.
testamentum (tes-t[schwa]-men-t[schwa]m), n. [Latin] Roman law. A will. • In early and classical law, the mancipatory will was standard. It was still used in the Later Empire but in A.D. 446, the holographic will was accepted in the Western Empire. A will could also be made by registration on the court acta. See holographic will,