Legal Terms and Definitions

Glossary of Legal Terms

Bail In criminal cases, a sum of money posted by or on behalf of a defendant to guarantee his appearance in court after being released from jail Irrelevant Evidence not sufficiently related to the matter in issue. Criminal insanity Lack of mental capacity to do or abstain from doing a particular act; inability to distinguish right from wrong. Entrapment In criminal procedures, a complete defense. The defendant must show that officers induced the defendant to commit a crime not contemplated by him, for the purpose of instituting a criminal prosecution against him. Polling the jury A practice whereby the jurors are asked individually on the record whether they agreed, and still agree, to the verdict. prima facie Literally, "on its face." A fact presumed to be true unless disproved by some other evidence. In a criminal case, when the prosecution rests, the state's case is said to be prima facie, if the evidence so far introduced is sufficient to convict. Admissible evidence Evidence, which can legally and properly is used in court. Remand Evidence that helps to prove a point or issue in a case.

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	Did You Know?
	Mediation may not be the most appropriate avenue for resolution in all cases. For example, it may not be appropriate in cases where: A definitive or authoritative resolution of the matter is required; The matter involves or may bear upon significant questions of Government policy that require additional procedures before a final resolution may be made; Maintaining established policies that apply to many people is especially important; The matter significantly affects persons or groups who are not parties to the process; A full public record of the proceeding is important; or The agency must maintain continuing jurisdiction over the matter with authority to alter the disposition of the matter in light of changed circumstances.