Susan Ellis Wild - Webster's New World Law Dictionary

venue n. Usually, the locality within which the trial or suit will take place, as sometimes there may be several places where jurisdiction could be established. Venue is often a matter of convenience to the parties in a civil suit. In a criminal suit, where it may be difficult to empanel an impartial jury (due to extensive publicity or other considerations), a change of venue may be sought. See also forum nonconveniens.

veracity n. 1 Honesty; credibility; truthfulness, as in, “the witness’s previous criminal record brings into question his veracity.” 2 The accuracy of an account of an event.

verdict n. The conclusion of a jury, or of a judge in a non-jury case, of what the facts are or were. A verdict, being a finding of fact, is different from a judgment or a judicial decision. The trial court may choose to accept or to disregard the verdict in determining judgment.

compromise verdict. A verdict achieved by some juror giving in on one of his or her misgivings in exchange for another juror’s doing the same, in order to avoid a deadlock or extended period of deliberation. Such an exchange, although considered improper, happens often.

general verdict. A verdict that simply declares which side wins, without finding any special facts to be true.

partial verdict. A verdict in a criminal case that finds the defendant guilty of some charges but innocent of others.

quotient verdict. An improper verdict in a damage case, whereby the jurors find the arithmetic mean of what they think are appropriate damages; that is, the total of what each juror believes should be awarded, divided by the number of jurors to arrive at the amount of the award.

special verdict. A jury verdict that sets forth findings on the merits of each factual issue posed by the court, then used by the court in applying the law to the facts that were found to have merit. When applied in a criminal case, where the judge directs the jury to render special verdicts on specific charges in a case, such action has been declared to be unconstitutional, as the defendant is entitled to a general verdict.

verification n. A statement attesting to the truth, correctness, or authenticity of the things avowed in a written statement; an affidavit attached to a written statement affirming its truthfulness.

vertical price fixing See price fixing. vertical privity See privity.

vested n. An unconditional right of current or future enjoyment of title to and actual possession of property, whether personal or real. See also contingent.

vested estate. See estate.

vested interest. A current right or title to possess a thing, even though the actual possession may not take place until sometime in the future.

vested remainder. A property in the estate of a deceased that is limited to a certain specified person, whose enjoyment of same may be deferred to some future time.

veto 1 n. The power of one branch of government to prohibit a certain action by another; for example, the chief executive’s right to refuse to sign a legisla- ture-passed bill into law. 2 v. The act of refusing or canceling the act of another or the passage of a law.

pocket veto. As to a chief executive of a governmental body, such as the President of the United States, the failure to approve a proposed legislative act, thereby resulting in the proposed law not being passed, and therefore “vetoed.”

vexatious litigation n. A civil suit that can be shown to have been brought maliciously and in the absence of reasonable cause. See malicious prosecution.

vicarious adj. Suffered, performed, or experienced by one person as a substitute for another; indirect; in surrogate.

vicarious liability See liability.

vice crimes n. Activities that are made illegal because they offend the moral standards of the community banning them. Gambling, pornography, and prostitution are the big three of vice crimes in most states and communities.

vicinage n. The vicinity or neighborhood in which a criminal activity has been perpetrated, or in which a trial is being held; the community from which the jurors are being called.

videlicet See viz.

view n. 1 An unobstructed look out of the windows of a dwelling. 2 An urban encumbrance prohibiting the building of anything that would obstruct a person’s view from his or her window. 3 A jury’s trip to a crime scene or other location thought necessary to see the physical particulars of the case before it that might not be capable of being observed in the courtroom. 4 A lineup. See also lineup.

violation n. 1 A breaking of the law; an infraction; a transgression. 2 The act of breaching the law; contravening a duty or right. 3 An offense against the public welfare.

violation of probation See probation.

violence n. The use of physical force, especially physical force utilized with malice and/or the attempt to harm someone. Some courts have ruled that in labor disputes, violence includes picketing with false information on the placards, in an attempt to harm a business.

vir n. Latin. Man.

virtual representation n. A bringing of an action on behalf of a party or parties unnamed, as in the case of a class action where a number of people have an interest similar to the named party, and upon whom the court’s judgment will be binding. It is often preferable to have a guardian ad litem appointed to protect the interests of the nonparties.

visitation rights n. The right of the non-custodial parent, granted by the divorce or family court, to visit with the child on some sort of scheduled or regular basis.

vis major n. Latin. A superior force; the term is used in civil cases to denote an act of God. A loss vis major results from natural causes, such as a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake, and without the intervention of human beings. It is a loss that could not have been prevented by diligence or by having taken precautions. See also force majeure.

vitiate v. 1 To interfere with; to impair; to render null and void; to cause to have no effect. 2 To invalidate either partially or completely. 3 To corrupt morally.

viz. abbr. Latin. Namely; to wit; that is to say. Used to elaborate on what has already been said in more particular or precise language.

voice exemplar n. A sample of one’s voice for the purpose of comparing to the actual person’s voice, or a recording of same, used for identification.

void n. Of no legal effect; empty; unenforceable; those provisions having no effect whatsoever.

voidable n. Able to be later voided or nullified; a valid act that may achieve what its purpose was until its fatal flaw is discovered or takes effect and causes it to be voided. For example, a minor may enter into an agreement with a book club and not buy the number of books she contracts to. When the book club tries to recover the remaining part of the contract, the minor repudiates it and it becomes void, because a minor may not make a valid contract.

voidable preference. Bankruptcy term referring to a payment or transfer made by the debtor to a creditor within a certain period of time before declaration of bankruptcy is made, to the disadvantage of other creditors seeking a share of remaining assets of the debtor; such payments may be set aside.

void for vagueness n. When it becomes necessary for a person of average intelligence to guess at the meaning of a law or how that law is to be applied, the statute is constitutionally void for vagueness. A criminal statute may be vague for how it is to be applied, to whom it applies, what conduct is forbidden, or what the punishment is for violating it.

voir dire n. French. Literally to see, to speak; hence, idiomatically, to speak the truth. The usual reference is to an examination by the attorneys and/or the court of prospective jurors to determine whether reasons exist that might dis-

qualify them or cause their selection to be challenged, other than peremptorily. During a trial, a voir dire examination refers to one outside the hearing of the jury concerning some issue of fact or law that requires the court to rule.

volenti non fit injuria n. Latin. The volunteer suffers no wrong; a person cannot usually sue for damages when he consented in the first place to whatever it was that caused the damages.

murder reduced to a charge of manslaughter due to extenuating circumstances, such as diminished capacity or being provoked in the heat of passion.

voluntary waste See waste.

voting n. The casting of ballots to decide an issue; usually used to refer to the casting of votes in order to elect officials or to decide a question on the ballot.

voting trust. Entrustment by a group of stockholders in a corporation of their votes to a trustee, who shall be empowered to act on their behalf, without the stockholders retaining control to direct the trustee’s actions.

voting right n. 1 In corporate law, the right of a shareholder to cast a vote in the election of corporate officers and to vote at meetings to decide corporate policy or transactions. 2 In constitutional law, the right to vote may not be denied to an individual based on race, sex, color, or previous condition of servitude. In addition, in federal elections it is not permissible to charge a poll tax.

W

W-2 form n. A federal tax form, copies of which are provided by the employer to employees and to the IRS, stating total earnings; federal, state, and municipal taxes withheld; FICA taxes; and various other deductions including contributions to retirement accounts, unemployment insurance (in some states), and health insurance (in certain states).

W-4 form n. A federal tax form, on which the employee indicates the number of personal exemptions she will be claiming so that the employer can calculate the amount of federal income tax to be withheld from that employee’s paycheck.

wage n. The payment to an employee, usually based on hours worked or quantity of goods or services produced.

wager n. 1 Money or other consideration put at risk on a gamble, a bet, or some other uncertain occurrence. 2

Money promised if a certain event should occur.

waiting period n. The amount of time that must pass before a right is given, as, for example, registration of a handgun, or grant of a marriage license; in insurance policies, the period of time during which a policyholder must wait before starting to collect benefits, e.g., as with a 90 day wait after disability commences before disability benefits will start to be paid by the insurance company.

waive v. 1 To voluntarily give up, abandon, or surrender a right, privilege or claim. Usually, a right may only be waived if the person so doing has full knowledge of what the consequences might be. 2 To abstain from insisting on a formality, such as an extradition hearing prior to extradition.

waiver n. 1 A voluntary relinquishing of a right or privilege. Although a waiver may result from an explicit surrender or by circumstances, courts frown on accepting waivers of constitutional rights. The party waiving a right must have knowledge of that right and the informed intention of surrendering it. 2 The paper by which a person surrenders his or her rights; for example, when the courier delivered the package, the recipient may sign a waiver relieving the former of any further responsibility.

express waiver. A deliberate and voluntary waiver.

implied waiver. A waiver of certain rights based upon the action of the waiving party. For example, if a person tells a courier he does not care what condition a package is in as long as it arrives by a certain time, that person has waived the right to require the courier to treat the parcel with the normally expected care.

prospective waiver. A waiver of something that may occur in the future; for example, the right to participate in an award from a future, anticipated law suit. Prospective waivers are often deemed to be unenforceable, as the party giving up a right cannot, by definition, know the parameters of what is being given up.

want of consideration n. The lack of consideration in exchange for goods or services, may form the basis for a contract to be unenforceable. See also consideration.

want of prosecution n. The failure of a litigant to pursue a case in a timely manner, sometimes resulting in dismissal of the case.

wanton adj. Reckless; extremely careless; acting with utter disregard for others; implies conduct that is beyond mere negligence. In criminal law, malicious or malevolent intent.

ward n. 1 A person for whom a guardian has legal responsibility, or one over whose property a guardian has responsibility. Title to legal property remains with the ward, although he or she may not enter into any contracts involving same. 2 A division of a town for electoral or educational purposes.

wardship n. 1 The position of guardian usually, but not necessarily, over a minor. 2 The situation or condition of being a ward.

warrant n. 1 An order in writing from a competent authority instructing that a certain act be carried out. 2 In commercial and property law, a warrant also refers to a guarantee that a property being sold or transferred meets certain specified criteria.

arrest warrant. A court order directing that a certain person be taken into custody by the sheriff or other law officer and made to appear before the court to answer a complaint, or for some other reason.

bench warrant. An arrest warrant issued specifically by a judge for a person who has failed to appear before a court after previously having been summoned to do so, or who has been indicted for an offense or found to be in contempt of court.

death warrant. A warrant issued by a governor or other person with authority, commanding that a prisoner under sentence of death be put to death at a certain time and in a certain manner.

general warrant. A warrant used by the government to search a described premises and seize any proscribed substances not described in the warrant. This type of warrant has been held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court as violating the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, except in cases where the seized items are in plain sight.

stock warrant. A certificate entitling the bearer to buy a certain number of shares of stock at a specified time for a set price.

warranty n. The attesting of one party to a contract to the other of reliable facts so that the second party does not need to ascertain such facts for him or herself. Such assurance carries with it a promise to indemnify the second party for any loss should the particulars of the warranty prove not to be factual. Such a warranty may be express or implied.

express warranty. A warranty created by the specific words of the warrantor promising the purchaser of goods that the merchandise being sold possesses or lacks certain qualities.

implied warranty. A warranty arising from the existence of certain laws governing the conditions under which a certain thing may be transferred, rather than from the words of the seller.

limited warranty. Warranty limited as to period of time or scope, e.g., a warranty for an automobile may be for only certain components of the car, or for a specified number of miles or months.

warranty of fitness for a certain purpose. A warranty that the merchandise is suited for use for the special purpose for which the buyer is acquiring it, rather than merely fit for general use.

warranty of habitability. A landlord’s promise that from the start of the lease there are no hidden difficulties or defects that might affect the use of the premises for residential purposes, and that the premises will remain habitable for the lease’s duration.

warranty of merchantability. An implied guarantee on the part of a merchant that the merchandise he sells is suitable for the general purpose that it is sold. For example, if the merchant sells house paint, it is implied that that paint will adhere to walls.

warranty deed See deed.

waste n. Permanent harm done to real property by a person or persons in legal possession of that property (such as a tenant), such that the property’s value to its actual owner or future inheritor is diminished. The legal possession part is critical in distinguishing waste from trespass.

ameliorating waste. An unauthorized physical change of an occupied structure by a tenant that, while technically waste, actually increases the value of the property, such as tearing out old carpeting and putting in new, better quality carpeting. Such an act is rarely considered grounds for liability.

equitable waste. Damage done by a lifelong tenant who normally would be unchallengeable, but who may be enjoined by the court using the standard of variance from what a prudent man would do with his own property.

hazardous waste. By-product of certain industries or activities, determined to be of unusually dangerous nature, e.g., radioactive waste, generally subject to special rules of disposable and/or recycling.

permissive waste. Damage done by a tenant’s failure to make reasonable repairs that he might normally be expected to see to, such as allowing water to accumulate in a leaky basement over the course of years.

voluntary waste. Damage directly caused to the property by a voluntary act of the tenant, such as filling in drainage ditches or punching a hole in the roof.

wasting property n. Ownership, right to, or interest in a wasting asset.

wasting asset. An asset that will be consumed through normal use, such as the gold in a gold mine, oil in an oil well, or a copyright.

weapon n. An implement used or designed to be used to kill or injure a person. See also gun-control law.

concealed weapon. A weapon that is carried by someone but is not visible to the ordinary observer’s eye.

dangerous weapon. An implement or device that is capable of causing serious bodily harm or death; not to be confused with a deadly weapon. A dangerous weapon may be deadly; a deadly weapon must be dangerous.

deadly weapon. Any firearm or other device (crossbow, longbow, bomb, grenade, and so on), substance (poison), or material (dagger, cutlass), that, when used in the manner it was intended to be used, will be likely to cause death.

weight of the evidence n. The relative value of the total evidence presented by one side of a judicial proceeding when compared to the evidence presented by the other. The phrase refers to the persuasiveness of the testimony of witnesses and the physical evidence combined. See also burden of proof.

Westlaw n. An online legal research service for legal and law-related materials and services, including searches of United States and international legal materials, federal and state statutes, and legal periodicals; maintained by the West Group of Thomson Learning, Inc.

white-collar crime n. A phrase denoting a variety of nonviolent crimes and commercial offenses committed by business people, public officials, and con artists. Consumer fraud, bribery, stock manipulation, and embezzlement are among the improprieties in this category.

wilful See willful.

will n. 1 Desire, intent, choice, as in, “she exercised her own free will.” 2 A document spelling out what is to be done with the person’s (testator’s) belongings after she has died. Such document has no force while the person is alive and may be altered or revoked at any time, but becomes applicable at the time of the testator’s death to whatever the conditions of the estate are at the time of death. The difference between a deed and a will is that a deed passes an interest upon delivery, while a will is effective only on death.

estate at will. The right of a grantee to use and possess land by mutual agreement (or will) with the grantor; the right to use the property terminates when the will of either party ends.

holographic will. See holographic will.

joint and mutual will. One will executed by two or more persons with reciprocating provisions of consideration of each to the other.

joint will. A single will signed by two or more persons but that is not necessarily reciprocating or mutual.

last will and testament. Phrase commonly used to refer to the latest (most recent) instrument directing the disposition of the personal property of the signer(s).

mutual wills. See reciprocal will.

nuncupative will. An oral will dictated by the testator just before death, before a certain number of witnesses (depending on state law), and put in written form after death; generally invalid in most states.

willful adj. 1 In civil law, intentional, voluntary, knowing; distinguished from accidental, but not necessarily malicious. 2 In criminal law, an act done stubbornly or with an evil intent.

winding up v. The process of dissolving a partnership or corporation by collecting all assets and outstanding income, satisfying all the creditors claims, and distributing whatever remains (the net assets). These may be distributed as cash or in kind, first to preferred stockholders, if any, and then to remaining shareholders, if any, pro rata. Winding up is in anticipation of a company’s dissolution. See also liquidate.

wiretap 1 n. The listening in of any wire or oral communication by use of electronic or mechanical means; generally illegal where both parties to the communication are unaware of the wiretap. Unauthorized use or possession of wiretap devices is prohibited under state and federal law. 2 v. The act of placing an electronic device to listen in on oral communications. See also bugging, and pen register.

withholding n. 1 The portion of earned wages that an employer deducts to cover income tax purposes and forwards to the government. 2 The process by which the employer makes the deduction. See also W-2 form and

W-4 form.

withholding tax See tax.

witness 1 n. A person who gives testimony under oath and penalty of perjury in a court of law 2 v. To observe the execution of a legal document and to authenticate it by affixing one’s name to it.

adverse witness. See hostile witness.

character witness. One who testifies to the reputation of another as a reliable, reputable member of the community. Character witnesses may be used to support or impugn the testimony of a key party.

expert witness. See expert.

hostile witness. One whose adverse relationship to a party may prejudice his or her testimony against that party. A person declared to be a hostile witness may be asked leading questions and may be crossexamined by the party who called him or her.

lay witness. A witness other than an expert witness.

material witness. A witness called to testify about an important or essential matter, or a matter having a logical and necessary connection to the facts under consideration.

w.o.p. See want of prosecution.

words of limitation n. Words in a deed or will that are conventional, but non-literal. As an example, the phrase, “to B and her heirs,” by longstanding convention of property laws, gives an interest in land to B, but nothing to her heirs.

words of purchase n. Language in a deed or will conveying to whom the grant is going. The words designate the nature of the estate granted, for example, “to B and his heirs” might be interpreted the grant goes to B, and then to his heirs as long as the family line exists.

workhouse n. A jail for criminals who have committed minor offenses and who will not be serving lengthy terms.

work product n. That work done for a client by an attorney representing the client and generally considered protected from discovery. It includes statements written and spoken, as well as tactics, opinions, and thoughts that are protected by the attorney-client privilege.

work release program n. A program allowing a prisoner to voluntarily participate in a training program away from the prison, or to work at a paying job in the community, while continuing to serve as a prisoner at a penal institution. State prisoners in such a program may not be involuntarily removed from that program without due process showing that he or she is a threat to the community. See also halfway house.

worth n. 1 The value of something, expressed in monetary terms; all of a thing’s qualities that make it useful and valuable, expressed in terms of a medium of exchange. 2 The total monetary value of a person. 3 The sentimental value of something; emotional value.

writ n. The written order of a court in the name of the state or other legal authority ordering the person addressed to either do something or restrain from doing something.

writ of assistance n. 1 Archaic. One of the most hated abuses of common law in colonial America, it was a general warrant for an officer of the crown to search wherever he pleased for goods imported without paying British tariffs. They were greatly abused and led to the constitutional ban against unreasonable search and seizure. 2 In current practice, a writ of assistance is a remedy for the transfer of property when the title has been previously decided by a pro-

ceeding, and is issued to enforce the prior judgment or decree.

writ of certiorari See certiorari.

writ of error n. An order from an appellate court to a lower one to deliver a case’s records for the purpose of reviewing them.

written instrument n. Anything expressed in writing; a contract or agreement contained in the writing. Many statutes are required to be expressed in writing in order for them to take effect.

wrong 1 n. A violation of another person’s legal rights; an illegal act. 2 v. To violate another person’s rights or to do harm. See also tort.

wrongful act n. Any act that will damage the rights of another, unless it is done in the exercise of another equal or superior right. For that reason, the scope of wrongful acts is not limited to illegal acts, but includes acts that are immoral, anti social, or libel to result in a civil suit.

wrongful-birth action n. A legal suit brought by parents against a doctor who failed to inform them of the risks of having a child with prospective birth defects. See also wrongful-life action.

wrongful conduct See wrongful act.

wrongful-death action n. A lawsuit brought alleging damages from a wrongful act, default, or negligent behavior that resulted in the aforementioned’s demise. Such action may be brought by the executor or administrator of the decedent’s estate, as well as his or her surviving family, claiming deprivation of economic benefit that would have been had in the way of income or services had the decedent survived. Wrongful-death laws are different from survival statutes, which provide for legal action to sue for mental anguish, medical expenses, pain and suffering, or lost wages springing from the act leading to the death. Both statutes, however, circumvent the common law rule that death extinguishes civil law suits. There is a wrongful death statute in every state in the United States.

wrongful-life action n. A legal action on behalf of a child with birth defects, alleging that the parents would not have conceived the child or would have aborted the fetus if the doctor-defendant had informed them of the congenital defects to be expected, in order to avoid the pain and suffering resulting from the child’s defects. Most jurisdictions reject these actions.

wrongful-pregnancy action n. A lawsuit brought against a doctor by a parent for damages resulting from a pregnancy after a failed procedure to sterilize.