In haec verba is Latin for "in these words” meaning verbatim. This phrase is most commonly used when stating the exact language of an agreement within a complaint, or another pleading, rather than attaching a copy of it.
In Harris v. State, 199 S.W.2d 522, (1947), a Texas court held that “if possible, in matters of forgery, that the alleged forged instrument should be set out in the indictment in its tenor, “‘in haec verba.’” If this is not possible, then a reason should be provided. In the event the instrument itself is lost, destroyed, or in the possession of the accused, where access is restricted, this fact may be alleged, and the substance will be acceptable.
[Last updated in April of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]