Legal Terms and Definitions

Glossary of Legal Terms

Motion A formal request presented to a court. Recognizance The continued, habitual or compulsive commission of law violations after first having been convicted of prior offenses. Impanel To seat a jury. When voir dire is finished and both sides have exercised their challenges, the jury is impaneled. The jurors are sworn in and the trial is ready to proceed. Eschea In American law, the right of the state to an estate left vacant, to which no one makes a valid claim. Property of a decedent who had no will and no heir’s escheats to the state. Intestate The status of a person who dies without leaving a will. Trust A transaction in which the owner of real property or personal property (the trustor or settlor) gives ownership to a trustee, to hold and to manage it for the benefit of a third party, called the "beneficiary." presentment In felony cases, the first appearance before a judge at which the defendant is formally notified of the charges and a date is set for a preliminary hearing. No plea is entered at this stage. If, after the preliminary hearing, the case is bound over to the District Court, the defendant will enter a plea during arraignment in District Court. (Presentment is often incorrectly called arraignment.) Deposition The taking of testimony of a witness under oath outside of court, usually transcribed in writing by a court reporter, or less frequently, recorded on videotape.

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	Did You Know?
	Mediation is a process that involves a mediator Neutral third party who helps the disputing parties achieve a resolution that satisfies both of them. The mediator's primary function is to create constructive communication between parties and provide a forum where disputants can create a mutually satisfactory agreement. Mediators do not impose decisions; instead, they help people craft solutions that will work for them.