Legal Term Dictionary

Lat. Crime. Also an accusation or charge of crime. —Crimen furtl. The crime or offense of theft.—Crimen incendU. The crime of burning, which included not only the modern crime of arson, but also the burning of a man. a beast, or other chattel. Britt. c. 9; Crabb, Eng. Law, 308.—Crimen More...

Lat. Crime. Also an accusation or charge of crime. —Crimen furtl. The crime or offense of theft.—Crimen incendU. The crime of burning, which included not only the modern crime of arson, but also the burning of a man. a beast, or other chattel. Britt. c. 9; Crabb, Eng. Law, 308.—Crimen innominatum. The nameless crime; the crime against nature; sodomy or buggery.T-Crimen raptus. The crime of rape.—Crimen roberin. The offense of robbery.—Flagrans crimen; Loeus criminis; Partieeps ertminis. See those titles. Less...

In the civil law. The crime of falsifying; which might be committed either by writing, as by the forgery of a will or other instrument; by words, as by bearing false witness, or perjury ; and by acts, as by counterfeiting or adulterating the public money, dealing with false weights More...

In the civil law. The crime of falsifying; which might be committed either by writing, as by the forgery of a will or other instrument; by words, as by bearing false witness, or perjury ; and by acts, as by counterfeiting or adulterating the public money, dealing with false weights and measures, counterfeiting seals, and other fraudulent and deceitful practices. Dig. 48, 10; Halllfax, Civil Law, b. 3> c. 12, nn. 56-59. In Scotch law. It has been defined: "A fraudulent imitation or suppression of truth, to the prejudice of another." Ersk. Inst. 4, 4, 66. At common law. Any crime which may injuriously affect the administration of Justice, by the introduction of falsehood and fraud. 1 Greenl. Ev. i 373. In modern law. This phrase is not used as a desltniation of any specific crime, but as a general designation of a class of offenses, including all such as Involve deceit or falsification; e. g., forgery, counterfeiting, Using false weights or measures, perjury, etc. Includes forgery, perjury, subornation of perjury, and offenses affecting the public administration of justice. Matzenbaugh. People, 194 111. 108, 62 N. E. 546, 88 Am. St. Rep. 134; Little v. Gibson, 39 N. H. 510;* State v. Randolph, 24 Conn. 365; Webb .?. State, 29 Ohio St. 358; Johnston v. Riley,' 13 Ga. 97. Crimen falsi dieitur, cum quia illicit-; us, cni non fuerit ad hseo data auotorit-as, de sigillo regis, rapto vel invent©, brevia, oartasve oonsl£naverlt. Fleta, lib. 1, c. 23. The crime of forgery is when any one illicitly, to whom power has not been given for such purposes, has signed writs or charters with the king's seal, either stolen or found. Less...

In criminal law. The criuie of lese-majcHtg, or injuring majesty or royalty; high treason. The term was used by the older English law* writers to denote any crime affecting the-king's person or dignity. It is borrowed from the civil law, in which it signified the undertaking of any- enterprise against More...

In criminal law. The criuie of lese-majcHtg, or injuring majesty or royalty; high treason. The term was used by the older English law* writers to denote any crime affecting the-king's person or dignity. It is borrowed from the civil law, in which it signified the undertaking of any- enterprise against the emperor or the republic* Inst. 4, 18, 3. Crimen ISBSSB majestatis omnia alia crimina excedit quoad pcanam. 3 Inst 210. The crime of treason exceeds all other crimes in its punishment Crimen omnia en se nata vitiat. Crime vitiates everything which springs from it Henry v. Bank of Salina, 5 Hill (N. Y.) 523, 531. Crimen trahit personam. The crime carries the person, (i. e., the commission of a crime gives the courts of the place where it is committed jurisdiction over the person of the offender.) People v. Adams, 3 Denio (N. Y.) 190, 210, 45 Am. Dec. 468. Crimina morte eztinguuntur. Crimea are extinguished by death. Less...

n. One who has committed a criminal offense; one who has been legally convicted of a crime; one adjudged guilty of crime. Molineux v. Collins, 177 N. Y. 3ar>, 60 N. E. 727, 65 L. R. A. 104.

n. One who has committed a criminal offense; one who has been legally convicted of a crime; one adjudged guilty of crime. Molineux v. Collins, 177 N. Y. 3ar>, 60 N. E. 727, 65 L. R. A. 104. Less...

adj. That which pertains to or is connected with the law of crimes, or the administration of penal justice, or which relates to or has the character of crime. Charleston v. Beller, 45 W. Va. 44, 30 S. E. 152: State v. Burton, 113 N. C. 655, 18 S. E. More...

adj. That which pertains to or is connected with the law of crimes, or the administration of penal justice, or which relates to or has the character of crime. Charleston v. Beller, 45 W. Va. 44, 30 S. E. 152: State v. Burton, 113 N. C. 655, 18 S. E. 057. —Criminal act. A term which is equivalent to crime; or is sometimes used with a slight softening or glossing of the meaning, or as importing a possible question of the legal guilt of the deed.—Criminal action. The proceeding by which a party charged with a public offense is accused and brought to trial and punishment is known as a "criminal action." Pen.Code Cal. § 683. A criminal action is (1) an action prosecuted by the state as a party, against a person charged with a public offense, for the punishment thereof; (2) an action prosecuted by the state, at the instance of an individual, to prevent an apprehended crime, against his person or property. Code N. C. 1883, $ 129. State v. Railroad Co. (C. <) 37 Fed. 497. 3 L. R. A. 554: Ames v. Kansas, 111 U. S. 449. 4 Sup. Ct. 437. 28 L. Ed. 482; State v. Costello, 61 Conn. 497. 23 Atl. 868.—Criminal case. An action, suit, or cause instituted to punish an infraction of the criminal laws. State v. Smalls. 11 S. C. 279; Adams v. Ashbv. 2 Bibb. (Ky.) 97; U. S. v. Three Tons of Coal, 28 Fed. Cas. 149; People v. Iron Co.. 201 111. 236. 66 N. E. 349.—Criminal charge. An accusation of crime, formulated in a written, complaint, information, or indictment, and taking shape in a prosecution. IT. S. v. Patterson, 150 U. S. 65. 14 Sup. Ct. 20. 37 L. Ed. 999; Eason v. State, 11 Ark. 482.—Criminal conversation. Adultery, considered in its aspect of a civil injury to the husband entitling him to damages; the tort of debauching or seducing of a wife. Often abbreviated to crim. con.— Criminal intent. The intent to commit a crime; malice, as evidenced by a criminal act; an intent to deprive or defrand the true owner of his property. People v. Moore. 3 N. Y. Cr. R. 458.—Criminal law. That branch or division of law which treats of crimes and their punishments. In the plural—"criminal laws" —the term may denote the laws which define and prohibit the various species of crimes and establish their ounishments. IT. S. v. Reisinger. 128 r. S. 398. 9 Sup. Ct. 99, 32 L. Ed. 480.— Criminal law amendment act. This act was passed in 1871, (34 & 35 Vict. c. 32,) to prevent and punish any violence, threats, or molestation, on the part either of master or workmen, in the various relations arising between them. 4 Steph. Comm. 241 .—Criminal law consolidation acts. Tbe statutes 24 A 25 Vict. cc. 94-100. passed in 1861. for the consolidation of the criminal law of England and Ireland. 4 Steph. Comm. 297. These important statutes amount to a codification of the modern criminal law of England.—Criminal letters. In Scotch law. A process used as the commencement or a criminal proceeding, in the nature of a summons issued by the lord ad-vor-ate or his deputy. It resembles a criminal information at common law. —Criminal proceeding. One instituted and conducted for the purpose either of preventing the commission of crime, or for fixing the guilt of a crime alreadv committed and punMiin«r the offender; as distinguished from a "civil" proceeding, which is for the redress of a private iniurv. TT. S. v. TA* Huen (D. C.) 118 Fed. 442: Sevier v. Washington County Justices, Peck (Tenn.) 334: People v. Ontario Count v. 4 Denio (N. Y.) 260.—Criminal procedure. The method pointed out by law for the anprehen-sion. trial, or prosecution, and fixing the punishment, of those persons who have broken or violated, or are supposed to have broken or violated, the laws prescribed for the regulation of the conduct of the peonle of the community, and who have thereby laid themselves liable to fine or imprisonment or other punishmeut. 4 Amer. & Eng. Enc. Law, 730.—Criminal process. Process which issues to compel a person to answer for a crime or misdemeanor. Ward v. Lewis, 1 Stew. (Ala.) 27.—Criminal prosecution. An action or proceeding instituted in a proper court on behalf of the public, for the purpose of securing the conviction and punishment of one accused of crime. Ilar-ger v. Thomas, 44 Pa. 128. 84 Am. Dec. 422: Ely v. Thompson, 3 A. K. Marsh. (Ky.) 70. As to criminal "Conspiracy," "Contempt," "Information," "Jurisdiction," "Libel," "Negligence,'; "Operation," see those titles. Less...

Lat. Criminally. This term is used, in distinction or opposition to the word "civilitcr," civilly, to distinguish a criminal liability or prosecution from a civil one.

Lat. Criminally. This term is used, in distinction or opposition to the word "civilitcr," civilly, to distinguish a criminal liability or prosecution from a civil one. Less...

To charge one with crime; to furnish ground for a criminal prosecution; to expose a person to a criminal charge. A witness cannot be compelled to answer any question which has a tendency to criminate him. Stewart v. Johnson, 18 N. J. Law, 87; Kendrlck v. Comm., 78 Va. 400.

To charge one with crime; to furnish ground for a criminal prosecution; to expose a person to a criminal charge. A witness cannot be compelled to answer any question which has a tendency to criminate him. Stewart v. Johnson, 18 N. J. Law, 87; Kendrlck v. Comm., 78 Va. 400. Less...

One who decoys and plunders sailors under cover of harboring them. Wharton.

One who decoys and plunders sailors under cover of harboring them. Wharton. Less...

In old Scotch law. A weregild. A composition, satisfaction, or assythment for the slaughter of a man.

In old Scotch law. A weregild. A composition, satisfaction, or assythment for the slaughter of a man. Less...

The crosier, or pastoral staff.

The crosier, or pastoral staff. Less...