halfway house. A transitional housing facility designed to rehabilitate people who have recently left a prison or medical-care facility, or who otherwise need help in adjusting to a normal life. — Also termed residential community treatment center.
solicitation, n. 1. The act or an instance of requesting or seeking to obtain something; a request or petition (a solicitation for volunteers to handle at least one pro bono case per year). 2. The criminal offense of urging, advising, commanding, or otherwise inciting another to commit a crime ( convicted of solicitation of murder).
Double Jeopardy Clause. The Fifth Amendment provision stating, “nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” • The clause, which was ratified in 1791, does not prevent postacquittal appeals by the government if those appeals could not result in the defendant’s being subjected
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An imperfection in the substantive part of a legal document, as by omitting an essential term. Cf. DEFECT OF FORM.
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manifest weight of the evidence. A deferential standard of review under which a verdict will be reversed or disregarded only if another outcome is obviously correct and the verdict is clearly unsupported by the evidence. Cf. WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE . [Cases: Appeal and Error 1003(7), 1012.1(5); Criminal Law 1159.2(2).]
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summons, n. 1. Formerly, a writ directing a sheriff to summon a defendant to appear in court. 2. A writ or process commencing the plaintiff’s action and requiring the defendant to appear and answer. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 401; Process 7. C.J.S. Process §§ 2, 12.] 3. A notice requiring a person to appear in
A list of business awaiting a deliberative assembly’s vote that is not expected to be substantially opposed and is therefore scheduled for a vote without debate, or for automatic adoption unless a member objects. — Also termed consent agenda; unanimous-consent agenda; unanimous-consent calendar.
motion for judgment as a matter of law. A party’s request that the court enter a judgment in its favor before the case is submitted to the jury, or after a contrary jury verdict, because there is no legally sufficient evidentiary basis on which a jury could find for the other party. • Under the
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President of the United States. The highest executive officer of the federal government of the United States. • The President is elected to a four-year term by a majority of the presidential electors chosen by popular vote from the states. The President must be a natural citizen, must be at least 35 years old, and
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like, adj. 1. Equal in quantity, quality, or degree; corresponding exactly ( like copies). 2. Similar or substantially similar (like character).