opinion
evidence - Witnesses are
normally required to confine their testimony to statements of fact and are not allowed to give their opinions in
court. However, if a witness is qualified as an expert in a particular field, he or she may be allowed to state an
opinion as an expert based on certain facts.
order to show
cause - Court order requiring
a party to appear and show cause why the court should not take a particular course of action. If the party fails to
appear or to give sufficient reasons why the court should take no action, the court will take the action. In
criminal cases, the defendant must show why probation should not be revoked.
ordinance
- A written law enacted by the
legislative body of a county, city, or town.
original
jurisdiction - The court in
which a matter must first be filed.
- P -
pardon - Action by an official of an executive branch of
government relieving a criminal from a conviction.
Parent Infant Trauma
Syndrome (P.I.T.S.) - See
Battered Child Syndrome
parole
- A procedure in which a parole board
releases a convict on good behavior before the maximum sentence expires.
parol
evidence - Oral or verbal
evidence (rather than written). The parol evidence rule limits the admissibility of parol evidence which would
directly contradict the clear meaning of terms of a written contract.
|