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Dealing with lawyers, judges, our legal system and private detectives has its own vocabulary. These are some terms you may hear.
A
- Abandonment – Desertion by a husband or wife, of his or her spouse, with the intention of creating a permanent separation.
- Abscond – To hide from the jurisdiction of a court in order to avoid capture and legal prosecution.
- Accessory – A person who solicits, requests, commands or intentionally aids the principal actor in the commission of an offense.
- Accomplice – A person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing, often as a subordinate.
- Acquit – To relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty.
- Affidavit – A written declaration upon oath made before an authorized official.
- Alibi – The defense by an accused person of having been elsewhere at the time an alleged offense was committed.
- Appeal – A review by a higher court to determine whether the decision, order or verdict in the lower court should be reversed, modified or affirmed.
- Arbitration – Determining a dispute by a neutral person or persons chosen by the parties.
- Arraignment – To call an accused person before a court to answer a charge.
- Arson – The malicious burning of property.
- Assault – An unlawful physical attack or threat of violence.
- Attachment – Seizure of property or person by legal authority.
- Autopsy – Postmortem examination to determine cause of death.
B
- Bail – To set free from arrest upon security that the person will appear in court.
- Ballistics – The science of projectile motion and firearm bullet examination.
- Bench Warrant – A warrant issued by a judge for apprehension of an offender.
- Blackmail – Extortion by threat of prosecution or harm to reputation.
- Bribery – Offering or accepting something of value to influence official action.
- Bug – A device used to overhear conversations without consent.
- Burglary – Breaking and entering a building illegally to commit a crime.
C
- Capital Offense – A criminal charge punishable by death.
- Circumstantial Evidence – Indirect evidence implying the existence of a fact.
- Coercion – Intimidation or pressure to compel an act against one’s will.
- Confession – A statement admitting guilt.
- Conspiracy – An agreement between two or more persons to commit an unlawful act.
- Contract – An agreement to do or not do a certain thing.
- Corpus Delicti – The substantial body of a crime.
- Corroborating Evidence – Evidence that confirms or supports existing evidence.
- Criminal Impersonation – Pretending to be another to defraud or harm.
- Criminal Trespass – Knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully on premises.
D
- Deposition – Testimony of a witness taken before trial.
- Direct Evidence – Evidence from a witness who personally observed the event.
- Disorderly Conduct – Causing public inconvenience or alarm.
- Duress – Unlawful pressure compelling a person to act against their will.
E
- Embezzlement – Fraudulent conversion of property by someone in trust.
- Entrapment – Government action inducing someone to commit a crime they were not predisposed to commit.
- Estoppel – Preventing a party from contradicting previous statements or conduct.
- Executor – The person appointed to carry out a will.
- Extortion – Obtaining property through force or fear.
- Extradition – Transfer of an accused to another jurisdiction for trial.
F
- Felony – A serious crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
- Fiduciary – A person entrusted with managing another’s property or affairs.
- Forgery – Creating or altering a document with intent to defraud.
G
- Garnishment – Collecting a debt by seizing a debtor’s property held by another.
- General Release – Statement confirming no further claims against another party.
- Grand Jury – Panel deciding whether to indict a suspect.
- Grand Larceny – Theft of property exceeding a set value threshold.
H
- Habeas Corpus – Court order requiring justification of imprisonment.
- Harassment – Continued unwanted and annoying actions.
- Hearsay Evidence – Out-of-court statement offered for its truth.
- Homicide – Killing of one human by another.
I
- Indictment – Formal accusation by a Grand Jury.
- Injunction – Court order requiring someone to refrain from an act.
- Inquest – Official hearing to determine cause of death.
- Intestate – Dying without a valid will.
- Ipso Facto – By the mere effect of an act or fact.
- Irrevocable Consent – Written consent submitting to New York State jurisdiction.
J
- Jostling – Crowding to access someone’s pockets.
- Judgment – A court decision resolving a dispute.
- Jump Bail – Failing to appear in court after posting bail.
- Jurat – Certificate confirming a document was sworn before an officer.
- Jury Tampering – Attempting to improperly influence a jury.
L
- Laches – Defense barring recovery due to undue delay.
- Levy – Taking property to satisfy a judgment.
- Libel – Written defamatory statement.
- Lien – Legal right in another’s property to secure a debt.
- Lis Pendens – Notice of pending legal action involving property.
M
- Malingering – Feigning illness to avoid duty.
- Mandamus – Court order compelling performance of a duty.
- Manslaughter – Unlawful killing without premeditation.
- Misdemeanor – Lesser offense punishable by fine or short imprisonment.
- Modus Operandi – Characteristic manner in which a crime is committed.
- Moral Turpitude – Conduct contrary to justice or good morals.
N
- Negligence Actions – Civil suits arising from failure to exercise reasonable care.
O
- Ordinance – A municipal law.
P
- Parole – Conditional release from imprisonment with supervision.
- Peremptory Challenge – Right to reject jurors without stating a reason.
- Perjury – Swearing falsely under oath.
- Petit Jury – Jury for civil or criminal trial.
- Petit Larceny – Theft valued under $1,000.
- Physical Evidence – Tangible evidence related to a crime.
- Plaintiff – A person bringing a civil action.
- Pleadings – Allegations of claims and defenses filed in court.
- Police Power – Authority to regulate conduct for public welfare.
- Prima Facie – At first sight; based on initial impression.
- Probate – Legal validation of a will.
- Probation – Court-supervised release instead of imprisonment.
R
- Referee – Person appointed to hear testimony and report to court.
- Relevant – Having reasonable connection to a fact in question.
- Reprieve – Temporary suspension of a death penalty execution.
- Res Gestae – Trustworthy secondhand statements made spontaneously during an event.
- Robbery – Taking property by force or intimidation.
- Rough Shadowing – Obvious or intrusive surveillance.
S
- Search Warrant – Court order authorizing search for evidence.
- Sentence – Judgment imposed on a convicted individual.
- Shadowing – Secret surveillance of a person.
- Statute of Limitations – Time limit for starting legal action.
- Subpoena – Order requiring appearance to give testimony.
- Subpoena Duces Tecum – Order to produce documents or evidence.
- Subornation of Perjury – Persuading someone to commit perjury.
- Subrogation – Substitution of one person for another in a legal claim.
- Summary Proceedings – Quick resolution without full trial process.
- Summons – Notice to a defendant of a lawsuit.
- Surveillance – Secretive observation or recording.
T
- Tail – Unobserved close watch.
- Testator – Person who made a valid will.
- Testimony – Statement by a witness under oath.
- Tort – Wrongful act causing injury or damages.
- Trespass – Unlawful intrusion on another’s person or property.
- True Bill – Grand Jury endorsement that prosecution is justified.
- Turpitude – Shameful or depraved conduct.
V
- Venue – Geographic location where a case is heard.
W
- Warrant – Written judicial order authorizing an action.
- Writ – Order requiring or authorizing a specific act.
If you are looking for an experienced Private Investigation agency, call us today to schedule a consultation. We are confident you will be satisfied with our professional service.
1st Class Investigations, Inc.
(866) 357-4769
Licensed by NYS Dept. of State / Bonded / Insured