Criminal Defense Terms and Definitions

Manslaughter A person recklessly causes the death of another, or acting under extreme emotional disturbance, causes the death of another, or acting under circumstances when a person reasonably believes the circumstances provide a legal justification or excuse for his conduct constitutes manslaughter. Tort An injury or wrong committed, either with or without force, to the person or property of another, for which civil liability may be imposed. Levy A seizure; the obtaining of money by legal process through seizure and sale of property. Assault A willful attempt to illegally inflict injury on or threaten a person. Allegation The assertion, declaration, or statement of a party to an action, made in a pleading, establishing what the party expects to prove. Accessory A person who assists in the commission of a crime, either before or after the fact. Burglary The unlawful breaking into or entering of a building or dwelling with the intent to commit a serious crime or theft. Battery Actual physical violence, whether serious or minor, inflicted on a person. (A mere threat is called assault, whereas the completed act is called battery) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Methods of resolving disputes outside of official court proceedings. These methods include mediation arbitration, and conciliation. Fraud An intentional perversion of truth; deceitful practice or device resorted to with intent to deprive another of property or other right.

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	Did You Know?
	Res Ipsa Loquitur - Literally, "a thing that speaks for itself." In tort law, the doctrine which holds a defendant guilty of negligence without an actual showing that he or she was negligent. Its use is limited in theory to cases in which the cause of the plaintiff's injury was entirely under the control of the defendant, and the injury presumably could have been caused only by negligence.