To forbid the use of evidence at a trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained. See also exclusionary rule.

A bond purchased at the expense of the estate to insure the executor’s proper performance.

Another name for joint tenancy.

A court ruling upholding an objection or a motion.

A legal document that is referred to in a will and used to guide the distribution of tangible personal property.

Any form of action by a court granting one of the parties an order to protect its interest pending further action by the court.

A judge's temporary order forbidding certain actions until a full hearing can be held.

The legal ability to make a will.

A trust set up by a will.

Person who makes a will.

The evidence given by a witness under oath. It does not include evidence from documents and other physical evidence.

A person, business, or government agency not actively involved in a legal proceeding, agreement, or transaction.

An action by the defendant that brings a third party into a lawsuit.

Legal ownership of property, usually real property or automobiles.

An injury or wrong committed on the person or property of another. A tort is an infringement on the rights of an individual not founded on a contract. The most common tort action is a suit for damages sustained in an automobile accident.

A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.

A legal device used to manage real or personal property, established by one person (the grantor or settlor) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary). A third person (the trustee) or the grantor manages the trust.

The legal document that sets up a living trust. Testamentary trusts are set up in a will.

The person or institution that manages the property put in trust.

A program that provides intensive probation services and supervision to high-risk males 14 to 18 years of age, including increased contact with probation officers, face-to-face curfew checks, electronic monitoring, and drug testing.

A detention of real estate without the consent of the owner or other person entitled to its possession.

When a juvenile has been committed to the District of Columbia for a specified time (not longer than age 21) in which the agency (Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)) can end the commitment without judicial authorization.

In bankruptcy proceedings, for the purposes of filing a claim, a claim is unsecured if there is no collateral, or to the extent the value of collateral is less than the amount of the debt.

Charging a higher interest rate or higher fees than the law allows.

To set aside. To vacate a judgment is to set aside that judgment.

A writ summoning persons to court to act as jurors. Also refers to the people summoned for jury duty.

The proper geographical area (county, city, or district) in which a court with jurisdiction over the subject matter may hear a case.

A conclusion, as to fact or law, that forms the basis for the court’s judgment. A general verdict is a jury’s finding for or against a plaintiff after determining the facts and weighing them according to the judge’s instructions regarding the law.

Process of questioning potential jurors so that each side may decide whether to accept or oppose individuals for jury service.

Intentionally giving up a right.

A means authorized by statute by which a witness, before testifying or producing evidence, may relinquish the right to refuse to testify against himself or herself, thereby making it possible for his or her testimony to be used against him or her in future proceedings.

Most commonly, a court order authorizing law enforcement officers to make an arrest or conduct a search. An affidavit seeking a warrant must establish probable cause by detailing the facts upon which the request is based.

A will is a legal declaration that disposes of a person's property when that person dies.

Applied to orders of judgment dismissing a case, meaning that the plaintiff is forever barred from bringing a lawsuit on the same claim or cause.

A claim or cause dismissed without prejudice may be the subject of a new lawsuit.

A person who testifies to what he or she has seen, heard. or otherwise experienced. Also, a person who observes the signing of a will and is competent to testify that it is the will-maker's intended last will and testament.