An initial appearance refers to a court hearing where a defendant is first brought before a judge, usually after being arrested or charged with a crime. During this hearing, the defendant is informed of the charges against them, and the judge...
civil rights
interference
Broadly speaking, interference in a legal setting is wrongful conduct that prevents or disturbs another in the performance of their usual activities, in the conduct of their business or contractual relations, or in the enjoyment of their full...
intermediate scrutiny
Overview
Intermediate scrutiny is a test courts often use in the field of Constitutional Law to determine a statute's constitutionality. Intermediate scrutiny is only invoked when a state or the federal government passes a statute which...
inverse condemnation
Inverse condemnation is a remedy for property owners when a government takes or damages a property for public use without having brought an eminent domain proceeding. To successfully bring an action for inverse condemnation, the property...
investigatory stops
An investigatory stop is a limited, nonintrusive detention which requires reasonable suspicion. During an investigatory stop, an officer may briefly stop a suspicious person and make reasonable inquiries to confirm or dispel their suspicions...
invidious discrimination
Invidious discrimination is a legal term used to describe the act of treating a class of persons unequally in a manner that is malicious, hostile, or damaging. It refers to discrimination that is motivated by animus or ill will towards a...
involuntary civil commitment
Involuntary civil commitment refers to the legal process by which individuals are admitted into a treatment facility or supervised outpatient treatment against their wishes. This can be done for various reasons, including mental illness,...
jail
A jail is an institution used to confine people awaiting trial and those sentenced for low level crimes, like misdemeanors. Jails are between a police station lockup and a prison in terms of incarceration. Jails exist at the federal, state,...
judicial activism
Judicial activism refers to the practice of judges making rulings based on their policy views rather than their honest interpretation of the current law. Judicial activism is usually contrasted with the concept of judicial restraint, which is...
kangaroo court
The term “kangaroo court” is an idiom referring to a court whose proceedings deviate so far from accepted legal norms that they can no longer be considered fair or just. The label of kangaroo court is a severe condemnation and is generally...