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But see is a signal in legal citations indicating that the cited source supports the opposite of the author’s statement, although an inference is required to see the contradiction.

But-for cause, sometimes used interchangeably with actual cause, is a necessary element for both liability in civil cases and a guilty verdict under much of criminal law.

what are the categories?

Wex currently employs two systems for categorizing entries:

The certainty effect is where people focus more on their perceptions of certainty rather than the actual probable value. This partly occurs because people generally have a hard time understanding the difference between statistical values (such as 70% vs. 80%). As such, people will generally respond more positively when dealing with “absolutes” regardless of the situation. Likewise, reducing the probability when the outcome was initially certain will have more impact than if it was only likely (so, 100% to 90% vs. 50% to 40%). 

Cf. is an abbreviation for the Latin word confer, meaning "compare."  Cf. is a signal indicating that the cited source supports a different claim (proposition) than the one just made, that it is worthwhile to compare the two claims and assess the difference.

A chance verdict (also known as a gambling verdict) refers to a verdict that is reached not through deliberation or understanding, but through chance. Thus, in a close case without the agreement of the jury, some jurors might wish to flip a coin and let fate determine the winner of the cas

In the context of transportation; channels are the highways, waterways, and air traffic of the country.

See also: Instrumentalities

[Last reviewed in July of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]

• constitutional law

A charging lien is defined as a type of attorney's lien under which a lawyer acquires an interest in a judgment awarded to the client.  This may mean that the lawyer can

CIA stands for the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for gathering, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence related to foreign governments, organizations, and individuals. Commonly referred to as “the Agency” and historically nicknamed “the Company,” the CIA plays a central role in safeguarding U.S. national security interests abroad.

Circuit riding is the act undertaken by judges, who would often travel between towns within a judicial district (previously known as a circuit) to hear cases in each town. Now, this practice has largely been discontinued.

[Last reviewed in July of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]