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Most Popular Legal Definitions
hearing
a court proceeding where arguments and testimony are given
heresy
A historic criminal offense, the act of public
denial of Christian doctrines.
nuisance
The unreasonable, unwarranted and/or unlawful use of property, which causes
inconvenience or damage to others, either to individuals and/or to the general
public.
de facto
Latin, exists "in fact", term used to indicate
something already done or established
words of purchase
Words which specifically name the person to whom the land is being
conveyed.
Chief Justice
presiding judge of any State Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court; the Chief
Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is appointed by the President and must be
confirmed by the senate
capital offense
any criminal charge which is punishable by the death penalty, called "capital"
since the defendant could lose his/her head (Latin for caput); crimes punishable
by death vary from state to state and country to country.
basis
the original cost of an asset to be used to determine the amount of capital gain
tax upon its sale; an "adjusted basis" includes improvements, expenses, and
damages between the time the original basis (price) is established and transfer
of the asset; "stepped up basis" means that the original basis of an asset will
be stepped up to current value at the time of the death of the owner, and thus
keep down capital gain taxes if the beneficiary of the dead person sells the
asset
bilateral contract
an agreement in which the parties exchange promises for each to do something in
the future
habeas corpus
Latin, a court petition which orders that a person being detained be presented
before a judge for a hearing to decide whether the detention is lawful. (A writ
of habeas corpus.)