Legal Term Dictionary

To sell; to draw apart; to dissolve a contract; to divorce. Calvin. <

To sell; to draw apart; to dissolve a contract; to divorce. Calvin. < Less...

To take as a pledge property of another, and keep the same until he performs his obligation or until the property is replevied by the sheriff. It was used to secure an appearance in court, payment of rent, performance of services, etc. 3 Bl. Comm. 231; Fitzh. Nat. Brev. 32, More...

To take as a pledge property of another, and keep the same until he performs his obligation or until the property is replevied by the sheriff. It was used to secure an appearance in court, payment of rent, performance of services, etc. 3 Bl. Comm. 231; Fitzh. Nat. Brev. 32, B, C, 223. Boyd v. Howden, 3 Daly (N. T.) 457; Byers v. Ferguson, 41 Or. 77, G8 Pac. 5. Distress is now generally resorted to for the purpose of enforcing the payment of rent, taxes, or other duties. Less...

He who seizes a distress.

He who seizes a distress. Less...

Seizure; the act of distraining or making a distress.

Seizure; the act of distraining or making a distress. Less...

The taking a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrong-doer Into the custody of the party injured, to procure a satisfaction for a wrong committed; as for non-payment of rent, or injury done by cattle. 3 Bl. Comm. 6, 7; Co. Litt. 47; Emlg v. Cunningham, 62 Md. More...

The taking a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrong-doer Into the custody of the party injured, to procure a satisfaction for a wrong committed; as for non-payment of rent, or injury done by cattle. 3 Bl. Comm. 6, 7; Co. Litt. 47; Emlg v. Cunningham, 62 Md. 460; Hard v, Near-ing, 44 Barb. (N. Y.) 488; Owen v. Boyle, 22 Me. 61; Evans v. Lincoln Co., 204 Pa. 448, 54 Atl. 321. Tbe taking of beasts or other personal property by way of pledge, to enforce the performance of something due from the party distrained upon. 8 Bl. Comm. 231. The taking of a defendant's goods, in order to compel an appearance in court Id. 280; 3 Steph. Comm. 361, 363. The seizure of personal property to enforce payment of taxes, to be followed by its public sale if the taxes are not voluntarily paid. Marshall v. Wadsworth, 64 N. H. 386, 10 Atl. 685. Also the thing taken by distraining, that which is seized to procure satisfaction. And in old Scotch law, a pledge taken by the sheriff from those attending fairs or markets, to secure their good behavior, and returnable to them at the close of the fair or market if they had been guilty of no wrong. -Distress infinite. One that has no bounds with regard to its quantity, and may be repeated from time to time, until the stubbornness of the party is conquered. Such are distresses for fealty or suit of court, and for compelling jurors to attend. 3 Bl. Comm. 231.- Distress warrant. A writ authorizing an officer to made a distraint; particularly, a writ authorizing the levy of a distress on the chattels of a tenant for non-payment of rent. Bailey ville v. Lowell, 20 Me. 181; Bagwell v. Jamison. Cheves (S. C.) 252.-Grand distress, writ of. A writ formerly issued in the real action of quart impediU when no appearance had been entered after the attachment; it commanded the sheriff to distrain the defendant's lands and chattels in order to compel appearance. It is no longer used, 23 A 24 Vict. c. 126. | 26, having abolished the action of quare tm-pedit, and substituted for it the procedure in an ordinary action. Wharton.-Second distress. A supplemental? distress for rent in arrear, allowed by law in some cases, where the goods seized under the first distress are not of sufficient value to satisfy the claim. Less...

An heir; a person entitled to share in the distribution of an estate. This term is admissible to denote one of the persons who are entitled, under the statute of distributions, to the personal estate of one who is dead Intestate. Henry v. Henry, 31 N. C. 278; Kitchen v. More...

An heir; a person entitled to share in the distribution of an estate. This term is admissible to denote one of the persons who are entitled, under the statute of distributions, to the personal estate of one who is dead Intestate. Henry v. Henry, 31 N. C. 278; Kitchen v. Southern Ry., 68 S. C. 554, 48 S. E. 4. Less...

In practice. The apportionment and division, under authority of a court, of the remainder of the estate of an Intestate, after payment of the debts and charges, among those who are legally entitled to share in the same. Rogers v. 611-lett, 56 Iowa, 266, 9 N. W. 204; William Hill More...

In practice. The apportionment and division, under authority of a court, of the remainder of the estate of an Intestate, after payment of the debts and charges, among those who are legally entitled to share in the same. Rogers v. 611-lett, 56 Iowa, 266, 9 N. W. 204; William Hill Co. v. Lawler, 116 Cal. 359, 48 Pac. 323; In re Crelghton, 12 Neb. 280, 11 N. W. 313; Thomson v. Tracy, 60 N. Y. 180. -Statute of distributions. A law prescribing the manner of the distribution of the estate of an intestate among his heirs or relatives. Such statutes exist in all the states. Less...

Exercising or accomplishing distribution; apportioning, dividing, and assigning in separate Items or shares. -Distributive finding of tbe issue. The jury are bound to give their verdict for that party who, upon the evidence, appears to them to have succeeded in establishing his side of the issue. But there are cases More...

Exercising or accomplishing distribution; apportioning, dividing, and assigning in separate Items or shares. -Distributive finding of tbe issue. The jury are bound to give their verdict for that party who, upon the evidence, appears to them to have succeeded in establishing his side of the issue. But there are cases in which an issue may be found distributively, i. e., in part for plaintiff, and in part for defendant. Thus, in an action for goods sold and work done, if the defendant pleaded that he never was indebted, on which issue was joined, a verdict might be found for the plaintiff as to the goods, and for the defendant as to the work. Steph. PI. (7th Ed.) 77d.-Distributive justice. See JUSTICE.-Distributive share. The share or portion which a given heir receives on the legal distribution of an intestate estate, People v. Beckwith, 10 N. Y. St. Rep. 97; Page v. Rives, 18 Fed. Cas. 992. Sometimes, by an extension of meaning, the share or portion assigned to a given person on the distribution of any estate or fund, as, under an assignment for creditors or under insolvency proceedings. Less...

One of the portions into which an entire state or country may be divided, for judicial, political, or administrative purposes. The United States are divided into judicial districts, in each of which is established a district court. They are also divided into election districts, collection districts, etc. The circuit or More...

One of the portions into which an entire state or country may be divided, for judicial, political, or administrative purposes. The United States are divided into judicial districts, in each of which is established a district court. They are also divided into election districts, collection districts, etc. The circuit or territory within which a person may be compelled to appear. Cowell. Circuit of authority; province. Enc. Lond. -District attorney. The prosecuting officer of the United States government in each of the federal judicial districts. Also, under the state governments, the prosecuting officer who represents the state in each of its judicial districts. In some states, where the territory is divided, for judicial purposes,, into sections called by some other name than "districts," the same officer is denominated "county attorney" or "state's attorney." Smith v. Scranton, 3 C. P. Rep. (Pa.) 84; State v. Salge, 2 Nev, 324.- District clerk. The clerk of a district court of either a state or the United States.-District courts. Courts of the United States, each having territorial jurisdiction over a district, which may include a whole state or only part of it. Each of these courts is presided over by one judge, who must reside within the district. These courts have original jurisdiction over ail admiralty and maritime causes and all proceedings in bankruptcy, and over all penal and criminal matters cognizable under the laws of the United States, exclusive jurisdiction over which is not vested either in the supreme or circuit courts. Also inferior courts of record in California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas are also called "district courts." Their jurisdiction is for the most part similar to that of county courts, (q. ".)- District judge. The judge of a United States district court; also, in some states, the judge of a district court of the state.-District parishes. Ecclesiastical divisions of parishes in England, for all purposes of worship, and for the celebration of marriages, christenings, church-ings, and burials, formed at the instance of the queen's commissioners for building new churches. See 3 Steph. Comm. 744.-District registry. By the English judicature act, 1873, 4 60, It is provided that to facilitate proceedings in country districts the crown may, from time to time, by order in council, create district registries, and appoint district registrars for the purpose of issuing writs of summons, and for other purposes. Documents sealed in any such district registry shall be received in evidence without further proof, (section 61;) and the district registrars may administer oaths or do other things as provided by rules or a special order of the court, (section 62.) Power, however, is given to a judge to remove proceedings from a district registry to the office of the high court. Section 65. By order in council of 12th of August, 1875. a number of district registries have been established in the places mentioned in that order; and the prothonotaries in Liverpool, Manchester, and Preston, the district registrar of the court of admiralty at Liverpool, and the county court registrars in the other places named, have been appointed district registrars. Wharton. As to "Fire," "Judicial," "Land," "Levee," '?Mineral," "Mining," "Road," "School," and "'Taxing" districts, see those titles. Less...

A territory situated on the Potomac river, and being the seat of government of the United States. It was originally ten miles square, and was composed of portions of Maryland and Virginia ceded by those states to the United States; but in 1846 the tract coming from Virginia was retroceded. More...

A territory situated on the Potomac river, and being the seat of government of the United States. It was originally ten miles square, and was composed of portions of Maryland and Virginia ceded by those states to the United States; but in 1846 the tract coming from Virginia was retroceded. Legally it is neither a state nor a territory, but is made subject, by the constitution, to the exclusive jurisdiction of congress. Less...