Action: a lawsuit brought in a court
Adjudicatory hearing: a particular type of hearing before a judge or hearing officer, including administrative law proceedings; here, we are referring to a hearing to decide what should happen to a juvenile
Affidavit: a sworn, written statement describing facts
Appeal: a complaint to a higher court about an error of law committed by a lower court
Appeals court: a court in which appeals are heard
Application to Proceed Without Payment of Fees: a form which a party to a court case fills out to ask a judge to waive court fees
Acquittal: a determination that the prosecution did not prove its case to a criminal charge
Arraignment: an appearance in court in which a defendant pleads guilty or not guilty
Arrest: an act in which a police officer takes custody of a person to have him answer a criminal charge
Assault: an unlawful injury to another person
Beyond a reasonable doubt: the standard used to determine the guilt or innocence of a person prosecuted for a crime
Bind-over hearing: a proceeding in which a lower court decides whether to transfer case to a higher court
Breach: an act which violates an obligation or duty to another
Civil: relating to private rights
Complaint: a written statement, filed in court to begin a civil lawsuit
Constitution: the fundamental law of a state or nation
Contingency fee agreement: an agreement in which a lawyer pursues a case at his own expense in exchange for a portion of the award, if any
Contract: an agreement between two or persons which creates an obligation to do or not do something
Crime: a violation of law for which the State has set a penalty; the State prosecutes the crime.
Criminal: relating to the law of crimes
Court: where judges and juries decide cases; sometimes refers to a judge only
Damages: money awarded by a court for a loss or injury
Defendant: a person who is accused of a crime or who is the subject of a civil lawsuit
Delinquent: a juvenile who has committed an offense
Detention: when a police officer restrains an individual from walking away; when a person is confined to a particular place
Disposition: the final settlement of a matter; here, referring to juvenile court
Dispositional hearing: a proceeding in which a final settlement is decided (referring to juvenile court)
Emancipation: freeing the child from the control of the parents and allowing him to live on his own
Evidence: information or material offered as proof of a fact or to persuade a judge or jury
Exculpatory evidence: evidence that favors the defense
Federal: relating to the United States of America
Guilty: a plea to a criminal charge; a determination that a person committed an offense
Immediate and present danger: in a domestic violence case, the standard a judge will use to decide if a Temporary Order is appropriate
Interim care: short term custody of a juvenile in a non-criminal matter
Intentional tort: a civil wrong which requires proof that a person had the purpose to injure
Jurisdiction: the power a court to decide a case
Liable: legally responsible for a civil wrong
Negligence: a failure to use care that a reasonable person would use
Not Guilty: a plea to a criminal charge; an acquittal of a charge; innocent of a crime
Notice of hearing: written information that tells someone the date and time of a court proceeding
Order: a written direction issued by a court
Plaintiff: a person who brings a civil lawsuit
Plea: a formal response to a criminal charge
Plea bargain: an agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a charge in exchange for the prosecutor recommending a lesser sentence
Preponderance of the evidence: the standard of proof in civil cases, which is the greater weight of evidence (more likely than not)
Probable cause: a reasonable ground for belief a person should be arrested or searched
Pro se: a person who acts as his own attorney in court
Prosecute: in criminal law, when the State attempts to prove a case against a person
Protection from abuse complaint: a form filed in District Court to start proceedings in domestic violence cases
Remedy: what is done to compensate a person for a civil wrong
Search: an examination of a person or his property to discover some evidence of guilt or a weapon
Seizure: when a police officer takes possession of property or a person into custody, or restrains a person’s freedom to walk away
Service: when someone is notified of a court proceeding or given material related to a court proceeding through a written document
Stop: a temporary restraint of a person’s liberty or freedom to walk away
Strict liability: the legal responsibility for an injury without a showing of negligence
Subpoena: a court order that commands someone to appear in court or turn over documents
Summons: a written notice that a person must appear in court at a specific date and time; an alternative to arrest for minor crimes
Taken into custody: for adults, an arrest; for juveniles, a temporary detention in a non-criminal matter
Temporary Order: an emergency order from a court which is of short duration
Trial court: a court in which guilt or innocence is established, or liability in the case of a civil wrong
Verdict: a formal decision in a court case
Waiver: when a person voluntarily gives up a right, claim or privilege
Warrant: a written order of a court giving a police officer the authority to search or seize property or a person
Warranty: a promise that certain facts can be relied upon, such as a manufacturer’s warranty that a product will last for a certain amount of time
