Legal Terms and Definitions

Glossary of Legal Terms

Recognizance The continued, habitual or compulsive commission of law violations after first having been convicted of prior offenses. Executor A person assigned to carry out the provisions of a will Arrest of judgment Postponing the effect of a judgment already entered. Mistrial A trial, which is void because of some error. Pro se A sentence releasing a convicted criminal into the community or a treatment facility under the supervision of a probation officer, requiring compliance with certain conditions. If the conditions are not met, the court orders an "Order to Show Cause" hearing as to why probation should not be revoked and the sentence imposed. respondeat superior A rule of civil law that once a matter has been litigated and final judgment has been rendered by the trial court, the matter cannot be relitigated by the parties in the same court, or any other trial court. A court will use res judicata to deny reconsideration of a matter. Order to show cause Court order requiring a party to appear and show cause why the court should not take a particular course of action. If the party fails to appear or to give sufficient reasons why the court should take no action, the court will take the action. In criminal cases, the defendant must show why probation should not be revoked. Attorney of record Attorney whose name appears in the permanent records or files of a case.

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