Glossary
This glossary may be used to find the definitions of many legal terms.
In many instances, there are synonyms and plain language options provided for the terms.
You may search within this glossary:
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A combination of these search options can be used to provide a more defined result.
Note that this glossary may not contain all legal terms.
| Term | Definition | Plain Language | Synonyms | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backlog | All the cases that haven't been settled or decided in the time the law says they should be. | uncompleted cases | stockpile, excess | General Terms | |
| Bail | 1. A security deposit (usually money) given to release a defendant from custody and to make sure that they go to court when they're supposed to. 2. To set at liberty a person arrested or imprisoned on security (or bail). 3. Technically, bail is the person who becomes surety for an accused person that they will appear in court. | guarantee | bond, pledge, guarantee | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Bail bond | A legal paper that you buy from a bondsman and give to the court instead of bail. The defendant signs it and is let go. But if they don't come to court when they're supposed to, they must pay the amount of money on the bail bond. Guarantee to a third person paying bail money. | written guarantee | General Terms | ||
| Bail exoneration | When you get your bail back. Or when a bail bondsman or insurance ("surety") company isn't responsible for your bail anymore. | bail release | bond or bond guarantee release | General Terms | |
| Bail forfeiture | A court order to let the court keep the bail deposit because the defendant didn't go to court when they were supposed to. | General Terms | |||
| Bail notice | A legal paper from the court that says the court will make a warrant for arrest unless the defendant goes to court or pays bail. | General Terms | |||
| Bail receipt | A written statement that the court gives a defendant that says bail was paid. | General Terms | |||
| Bail schedule | A list of the amount of bail that is recommended for different charges. In criminal cases, the court decides how much bail a defendant has to pay to be released. | General Terms | |||
| Bailiff | A court attendant whose duties are to keep order in the courtroom and to have custody of the jury. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide | |||
| Balance due | The amount of debt still owed on a particular account, mortgage, or note. It may or may not include interest. | remaining balance on a debt | remainder, difference, debt owed | General Terms | |
| Bank | An institution that loans money and accepts deposits for savings. | General Terms | |||
| Bank levy | Way to enforce a decision against someone that owes money. The money is taken from their checking or savings account at a bank, savings and loan, thrift institution, or credit union. | General Terms | |||
| Bankruptcy | The legal way for a business or person to get help when they can't pay the money they owe. In bankruptcy court, they can get rid of debts by paying part of what they owe. There are special bankruptcy judges at these hearings. | General Terms | |||
| Bankruptcy code | The informal name for the federal bankruptcy law, Title 11, U.S. Code. | bankruptcy laws | General Terms | ||
| Bankruptcy court | A unit of each U.S. district court to handle bankruptcy cases. | General Terms | |||
| Bar | Historically, the partition separating the general public from the space occupied by the judges, attorneys, jury, and others during a trial. More commonly, the whole body of lawyers qualified to practice in any jurisdiction. A "case at bar" is a case now under the court's consideration. | courtroom; lawyers, the legal profession | General Terms, News Reporter Guide | ||
| Bargain | An agreement between two parties in which something of value is exchanged for something the other party wants. To be valid, the agreement must not involve an illegal transaction and the consideration must be sufficient and legal. | deal | deal, treaty | General Terms | |
| Basic Level Parenting Education Course | A mandatory course for parents involved in cases involving parenting time, custody, visitation, or other access to their children. | General Terms, Office of Dispute Resolution | |||
| Battery | Unwanted physical contact, physical violence or physical control of a person without their permission. | assault | assault, attack, beating | General Terms | |
| Bench | 1. The desk and chair (not an actual bench) where a judge sits in the courtroom. Sometimes bench means judge, for example, a bench trial, means a trial by a judge, without a jury. And to "approach the bench," means to move closer to the judge. 2. The seat occupied by the judge; more broadly, the court itself. | the judge | judge's desk in the courtroom | General Terms, News Reporter Guide | |
| Bench conference | Discussion between attorneys and the judge outside the hearing of the jury or courtroom audience; such a discussion may or may not be on the record. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Bench trial | Trial held before a judge sitting without a jury; jury waived trial. | non-jury trial | non-jury trial | General Terms, News Reporter Guide | |
| Bench warrant | An order given by the judge (or "bench") to arrest a person. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Benchmark decision | Particularly important holding or ruling that affects large segments of society, establishes important new legal principles, or changes established ones. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Beneficiary | A person or organization with a right to receive benefits, for example from a will, life insurance policy, or public agency. | heir | heir, receiver | General Terms, Guardian and Conservator, Estates, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Benefit (government) | Payment or goods from a government program, such as Social Security, workers compensation, or unemployment. | aid | aid | General Terms | |
| Bequeath | To leave personal property through a will. Compare: devise. | leave in a will | give in a will, leave to | General Terms | |
| Bequest | Personal property, except real estate, left under a will. | belongings given in a will | inheritance, estate, something given in a will | General Terms | |
| Best interest of the child | The standard that courts use to decide who will take care of the child. Some of the factors courts look at are: the age of the child, the health of the child, the emotional ties between the parents and the child, the ability of the parents to care for the child, and the child's ties to school, home, and the community. | General Terms | |||
| Beyond a reasonable doubt | Beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard for conviction in a criminal trial. | proven | General Terms, Court Reporting | ||
| Bias | A decisionmaker's predisposition for or against someone or a particular group of people involved in a case. Bias may be related to discriminatory attitudes, personal opinions, financial dealings, or personal knowledge of someone in the case. | unfairness | viewpoint, unfairness, preference, prejudice, preconceived idea | General Terms | |
| Bifurcated trial | A trial that is divided into two stages to separate the legal issues. One of the issues will be decided before the other. | divided trial | divided, split | General Terms | |
| Bifurcation | Trial of certain issues separately, as guilt/penalty complaint/damages. | division | division, subdividing | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Bigamy | Having 2 spouses at the same time. In most states, if the bigamy was intentional, it is also a crime. | polygamy | General Terms | ||
| Bind | To make yourself or someone else legally responsible for something. | legally responsible | require, force | General Terms | |
| Bind over | 1. A judge's decision before a trial that says there is enough evidence for a trial. 2. To hold for trial. | hold for trial | hold for trial | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |
| Binder | A temporary insurance policy that provides coverage until the permanent policy takes effect. | temporary insurance policy | General Terms | ||
| Bird-nesting | A custody arrangement in which the children of divorcing parents stay in the family home and the parents take turns living there with them. | General Terms | |||
| Black letter law | basic principles of law, especially when published in statutes. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Black's Law Dictionary | important legal reference work including, at its end, a List of standard abbreviations. | General Terms, Court Reporting | |||
| Bona fide | In good faith; open, sincere. | genuine | genuine, true to life | General Terms, Court Reporting | |
| Bond | A deed or legal paper that restrains a person or makes a person responsible for something. In court, a bond is a written statement that makes one person obligated to pay another person money, in certain circumstances. | certificate | certificate, agreement, pledge, promise | General Terms | |
| Bond form | Signed by Defendant, promising to appear as scheduled; shows monetary amount or condition of pretrial release from custody. | Appearance Bond, promise to appear | General Terms, News Reporter Guide | ||
| Booking | What the police do when they arrest someone. Includes taking fingerprints, photographs, and writing down personal information about the person. | General Terms | |||
| Breach | A violation of a legal obligation or duty. | violation | offense, violation | General Terms | |
| Breath test | Testing someone's breath to see how much alcohol is in their blood. | General Terms | |||
| Bribery | The crime of giving or accepting money (or something else of value) to influence a person's actions. | payoff | extortion, payoff | General Terms | |
| Brief | A written document presented to the court by a lawyer usually setting forth both facts and law in support of his or her case. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting | |||
| Burden | A duty or obligation, or a restriction on activity or use,; for example, a zoning restriction can be a burden on the property owner in that zone. | strain | strain, duty, obligation | General Terms | |
| Burden of proof | In the law of evidence, the necessity or duty of affirmatively proving a fact or facts in dispute. Responsibility to prove the facts. | General Terms, News Reporter Guide, Court Reporting |