| A | B |
|---|
| stare decisis | practice of judges following decisions made in earlier cases |
| common law | the body of law that came from English courts |
| equity | when money cannot compensate for an injury this is used |
| specific performance | when a court orders someone to turn over property to another person |
| case law | laws determined by court cases |
| statute law | man-made law |
| Supreme Court | the highest court in our national judicial system |
| Court of Appeals | the highest court in the New York State judicial system |
| felony | a crime punishable by a year or more in jail |
| larceny | the crime of stealing |
| theft of services | an example would be stealing cable service and not paying for it |
| arson | intentionally setting fire to property |
| robbery | stealing from someone using force |
| burglary | breaking into someone's property with the intent to commit a crime |
| embezzlement | taking money or personal property that was entrusted to you by another person |
| forgery | falsely making or altering a document to deceive others for your own gain |
| extortion | blackmail |
| probable cause | police need this to make an arrest or to get a search warrant |
| Miranda warnings | the police must read these to those that they arrest |
| indictment | issued by a grand jury this is a formal accuses someone of commiting a crime |
| arraignment | when the accused is brought before a court and charged with a crime |
| assault | to threaten someone with bodily injury |
| battery | to physically make contact someone and cause an injury |
| trespass | to enter someone's property without permission |
| conversion | wrongfully exercising control or ownership over property that belongs to another |
| nuisance | using one's property unreasonable and causing discomfort to others |
| false imprisonment | holding someone against their will and without cause |
| defamation | false oral or written statements that injure someone's character |
| tort | an injury that an individual causes to another person |
| crime | an injury that harms or threatens society |
| malpractice | when a professional person acts improperly in performing their duties |
| compensatory damages | reimburse victims for their actual losses |
| punitive damages | serve to punish a wrongdoer in a civil case |
| contributory negligence | when someone contributes to their injury through their actions |
| plaintiff | the person injured in a lawsuit |
| defendant | the person accused of causing an injury |
| summons | a written notice given to someone being sued |
| subpoena | a court order to someone to appear as a witness |
| petit jury | a trial jury of 6 to 12 jurors |
| grand jury | their job is to issue indictments |
| juvenile deliquent | someone under age charged with a crime |
| minor | those under 18 in New York State |
| age of majority | the age at which one is considered an adult |
| Fair Labor Standards Act | set restrictions on the employment of minors |
| emancipated | when a minor is no longer under parental control |
| reasonable suspicion | what school officials need to do a search |
| PINS | when this is filed it could lead to the removal of a minor from their home |
| slander | a spoken defamation |
| libel | a written defamation |
