Legal Terms

Question 1

Acquittal

Answer 1

a jury verdict of not guilty in a criminal action

Question 2

Action

Answer 2

a lawsuit brought in court

Question 3

Additur

Answer 3

an amount of money conferred by the judge in addition to the damage award provided by the jury

Question 4

ad hoc

Answer 4

for a specific purpose (ex: ad hoc committee organizes to achieve a particular goal and then disbands)

Question 5

Adjourn

Answer 5

to end or postpone to a later time

Question 6

Administrative Agency

Answer 6

an agency of the executive branch whose duty is to carry out statues and executive orders

Question 7

Administrative Regulations

Answer 7

consist of the rules of an administrative agency designed to explain and carry out the statutes and executive orders that govern the agency; bind the agencies and the public in certain areas

Question 8

Ad Damnum Clause

Answer 8

a statement in the complaint in which the plaintiff claims the right to receive a sum of money as damages
also called “prayer for relief” or “wherefore” clause

Question 9

Admissible Evidence

Answer 9

evidence that has been admitted for consideration regarding its truth or falsity by the judge or jury

Question 10

Admission

Answer 10

an out-of-court statement made by a party to the litigation that is inconsistent with the position the party is adopting in the litigation

Question 11

Adversarial Hearing

Answer 11

a hearing where both parties are present to argue their respective positions; this system places the burden of proving or disproving legal arguments upon parties in the litigation process rather than on the judge

Question 12

Adverse Judgement

Answer 12

the is a decision against the party whom you and your attorney represent

Question 13

Affidavit

Answer 13

a written statement of fact that the affiant swears or affirms is true

Question 14

Affiant

Answer 14

a person who swears or affirms under penalty of perjury to the truthfulness of a written statement; the person who signs an affidavit

Question 15

Affidavit of Service

Answer 15

a written statement sworn to by the affiant that states a party has been served with papers and stating the time and place details of the service

Question 16

Affirm

Answer 16

to uphold or establish

Question 17

Affirmative Defenses

Answer 17

new factual allegations by the defendant not contained in the plaintiff’s allegations

Question 18

Allegation

Answer 18

an assertion, representation, or averment

Question 19

Alternate

Answer 19

an extra juror who sits with the regular jurors and who may take the place of a regular juror if one becomes incapacitated during the trial

Question 20

Answer

Answer 20

the pleading filed by the defendant responding to the allegations of the plaintiff’s complaint

Question 21

Appeal

Answer 21

an application to a higher court to correct or modify the judgment of a lower court

Question 22

Appeal as a Matter of Right

Answer 22

the appellate court has no discretion as to whether to hear the appeal and is thus required to review the lower court’s decision

Question 23

Appearance

Answer 23

when a party appears in court, whether as a plaintiff or defendant

Question 24

Appellant

Answer 24

the party initiating the appeal; traditionally the party that lost in the trial court

Question 25

Appellate Brief

Answer 25

consists of a written argument presented to the appeals court by the appellant indicating the issues on appeal and the positions of the appellant on those issues relating to the claimed errors and improprieties that occurred during the trial

Question 26

Appellate Court

Answer 26

a higher court within the same judicial system as the trial court that hears the appeal from the trial court

Question 27

Appellate Jurisdiction

Answer 27

the power of a superior, appellate court to review and modify the decision made by an inferior, trial court

Question 28

Appellee

Answer 28

the party against whom the appeal is brought; traditionally the party that was victorious in the trial court

Question 29

Arbitration

Answer 29

alternative to litigation; the submission of a controversy to the judgment of another whose decision may then be binding on both parties

Question 30

Arraignment

Answer 30

a court proceeding in which the defendant is advised of the charges and is required to enter a plea admitting or denying the offenses