deadbeat mom. Slang. 1. A mother who has not paid or who is behind in making child-support payments. • This term is used far less frequently than either deadbeat dad or deadbeat parent, probably because nearly ten times as many men as women fail to support (or are ordered to support) their children financially after […]
dead man’s part. 1. Archaic. By custom in certain places, the portion of a dead man’s estate set aside for mass services; later, that portion set aside as payment for the administrator. • That portion ranged from one-third (if the deceased had a wife and children) to the entire estate (if the deceased had no
live storage. The storage of cars in active daily use, rather than cars put away for an extended period. • A garage owner’s responsibility sometimes depends on whether a car is in live or dead storage. Cf. DEAD STORAGE. [Cases: Automobiles 370. C.J.S. Motor Vehicles §§ 1564–1568, 1586, 1589.]
dueling, n. The common-law offense of fighting at an appointed time and place after an earlier disagreement. • If one of the participants is killed, the other is guilty of murder, and all who are present, abetting the crime, are guilty as principals in the second degree. [Cases: Criminal Law 45.30. C.J.S. Dueling §§ 2–3.]
Lone Pine order. A case-management order in a toxic-tort lawsuit involving many plaintiffs, establishing procedures and deadlines for discovery, including requiring the plaintiffs to timely produce evidence and expert opinions to substantiate each plaintiff’s exposure to the hazardous substance, the injury suffered, and the cause of the injury. Lore v. Lone Pine Corp., No. L-33606-85
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
malitia (m[schwa]-lish-ee-[schwa]). [Latin “malice”] Hist. An actual evil design; express malice. • Malitia originally signified general wrongdoing, and did not describe a wrongdoer’s state of mind; malitia praecogitata, for example, indicated only the seriousness of the offense, though it was eventually rendered malice aforethought. malitia capitalis (m[schwa]-lish-ee-[schwa] kap-i-tay-lis). [Latin] Hist. Deadly malice. malitia excogitata (eks-koj-[schwa]-tay-t[schwa]).
heriot (her-ee-[schwa]t), n. [fr. Old English here “army” + geatwa “trappings”] Hist. A customary tribute of goods and chattels, payable to the lord of the fee on the tenant’s death. • Heriot derives from an earlier feudal service consisting of military equipment returned to the lord on the tenant’s death; over time it came to
single-date-of-removal doctrine. Civil procedure. The principle that the deadline for removing a case from state court to federal court is 30 days from the day that any defendant receives a copy of the state-court pleading on which the removal is based. • If a later-served defendant seeks to remove a case to federal court more
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fama publica (fay-m[schwa] p[schwa]b-li-k[schwa]). [Latin “public repute”] Hist. A person’s reputation in the community. • A person’s fama publica could be used against him or her in a criminal proceeding. Cf. ILL FAME . “Now in the thirteenth century we find in the sheriff’s turn a procedure by way of double presentment, and we may