Legal Definitions

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W  All
Damages:  Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.

Default Judgement:  A judgement rendered because of the defendant's failure to answer or appear.

Defendant:  In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.

Deposition:  An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.

Discovery:  Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.

Docket:  A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.



The definitions of the legal terms on this page are provided by the United States Department of Justice.