10 - Civil Liability Terms Flashcards
liable
legally responsible
joint and several liability
legally responsible together and individually; the injured party can choose to collect the full debit from one wrongdoer or from all of them until the debit is satisfied
appearance
formally coming before a tribunal as a part or as a representative of a party
praecipe
a formal request to the court (usually directed to the court clerks) that something be done
forum
1 - a court
2 - the place where the parties are presently litigating their dispute
3 - a court or other tribunal hearing a case
stating a cause of action
including facts in a pleading that, if proved at trial, would entitle the party to judicial relief sought (assuming the other party doesn’t plead and prove a defense that would defeat the effort)
allegation
a claimed fact; a fact that a party will try to prove at trial
information and belief
good-faith belief as to the truth of an allegation, not based on firsthand knowledge
ad damnum clause
a clause stating the damages claimed
file
1 - to deliver a document to a court officer so that it can become part of the official collection of documents in a case
2 - to deliver a document to a government agency
civil cover sheet
a form filed in court in a civil case that indicates the names and addresses of the parties and their attorneys, the kind of action being filed, etc.
summons
a notice directing the defendant to appear in court and answer the plaintiff’s complaint or face a default judgment (served on the defendant)
proof of service
a sworn statement (or other evidence) that a summons or other process has been served on a party in an action
litigation hold
a notice that a legal dispute has occurred and that information pertinent to the dispute must be preserved by the person or organization in possession or custody of such information (failure to do so may result in sanctions for spoliation)
movant
a party making a motion or request
failure to state a cause of action
failure of a party to allege enough facts that, if proved, would entitle the party to judicial relief
procedural law
the rules that govern the mechanics of resolving a dispute in court in an AA
answer
the first pleading of the defendant in response to the plaintiff’s claims
defense
an allegation of fact or a legal theory offered to offset or defeat a claim or demand
affirmative defense
a defense raising facts or arguments that will defeat the opponent’s claim even if the opponent’s allegations in the claim are prove
contributory negligence
the failure of the plaintiffs to use such reasonable care for their own protection as an ordinarily prudent person would have used in a similar situation, thereby helping to cause their own injury or other loss
cross-claim
a claim brought by one defendant against another defendant or by one plaintiff against another plaintiff in the same action
reply
a plaintiff’s response to the defendant’s counterclaim, plea, or answer
third-party complaint
a defendant’s complaint against someone who is not now a party on a basis that the latter may be liable for all or part of what the plaintiff might recover from the defendant
contest
1 - to challenge
2 - to raise a defense against a claim
adverse judgment
a judgment or decision against you
pre-trial conference
a meeting of the attorneys and the judge before the trial to attempt to narrow the issues, secure stipulations, and make efforts to settle the case without a trial
magistrate
a judicial officer having some but not all of the powers of a judge
scheduling order
a pre-trial order of a magistrate or judge that sets time limits for discovery, filings, further pre-trial conferences, and other related pre-trial matters
court reporter
the person who takes down and transcribes proceedings
subpoena duces tecum
a command to appear at a certain time and place and bring specified things such as documents
order
an official command by a court requiring, allowing or forbidding something
hearing
a proceeding designed to resolve issues of fact or law
summary
quick, expedited, without going through a full adversary hearing
summary judgment
a judgment of the court that is rendered without a full trial because of the absence of conflict on any of the material facts
introduce evidence
to place evidence formally before a court or other tribunal so that it will become part of the record for consideration by the judge, jury, or other decision-makers
set for trial
to schedule a date when the trial is to begin