ACTUAL MALICE: To win a defamation suit, public officials or prominent people, must prove that the offender made a false statement with actual malice. In other words the statement was made with knowledge that it was false .
ADJOURNMENT IN CONTEMPLATION OF DISMISSAL: A program in which a defendant essentially is put on probation for a set period of time and his or her case does not go to trial during that time. If the defendant meets the conditions set by the court, then the charge will be dismissed.
ADMINISTRATOR: Person appointed to oversee the handling of an estate when there is no will.
ADVANCE DIRECTIVE:
AFFIDAVIT: A written statement made under oath.
AGE OF MAJORITY: The age when a person acquires all the rights and responsibilities of being an adult. In most states, the age is 18.
ALIMONY: Also called maintenance or spousal support. In a divorce or separation, the money paid by one spouse to the other in order to fulfill the financial obligation that comes with marriage.
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION: Methods for resolving problems without going to court.
AMICUS CURIAE: Latin for "friend of the court." Refers to a party that is allowed to provide information (usually in the form of a legal brief) to a court even though the party is not directly involved in the case at hand.
ANNULMENT: A legal decree that states that a marriage was never valid. Has the legal effect of wiping out a marriage as though it never existed.
ANSWER: In a civil case, the defendant's written response to the plaintiff's complaint. It must be filed within a specified period of time, and it either admits to or (more typically) denies the factual or legal basis for liability.
APPEAL: A request to a supervisory court, usually composed of a panel of judges, to overturn the legal ruling of a lower court.
ARBITRATION: A method of alternative dispute resolution in which the disputing parties agree to abide by the decision of an arbitrator.
ARRAIGNMENT: The initial appearance before a judge in a criminal case. Charges are read, a plea is entered, bail is set, and if he cannot afford an attorney; an attorney is appointed for the defendant.
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION: A document that must be filed with a state in order to incorporate. Among the things it typically must include are the name and address of the corporation, its general purpose and the number and type of shares of stock to be issued.
ASSIGNMENT: The transfer of legal rights, such as the time left on a lease, from one person to another.
ASSUMPTION OF RISK: A defense raised in personal injury lawsuits. Asserts that the plaintiff knew that a particular activity was dangerous and thus bears all responsibility for any injury that resulted.
ASYLUM SEEKER: A foreigner, already in the U.S. or at the border, who seeks refuge, claiming an inability or unwillingness to return to the home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution.
AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT: An employment relationship where the employer has the right to fire a worker for any cause at any time--usually without any notice.
