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A special election is an election that occurs between general elections and is scheduled at an irregular time to address specific issues or fill vacancies in public elected offices.

A special power of appointment is a legal authority granted to a person (the donee) under a trust or will, allowing them to designate who will receive certain property or

• trusts and estates

The Speedy Trial Act of 1974, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 3161 et seq., is a United States federal law that establishes time limits for completing various stages of a federal criminal prosecution.

• criminal procedure

Spending power is the ability of a government to tax and spend. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution, Congress is granted the power to lay and collect taxes in order “to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and gen

• constitutional law

Spousal immunity prohibits a prosecutor from forcing a defendant’s spouse to testify against them. This immunity is safeguarded by the Federal Rules of Evidence. 

• evidence

A standard contract is a pre-drafted agreement that is prepared in advance by one party for repeated use in multiple transactions involving different counterparties. Standard contracts streamline contracting by using uniform terms, reducing negotiation time, and promoting consistency across similar transactions.

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The state action requirement refers to the requirement that in order for a plaintiff to have standing to sue over a law being violated, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the government (local, state, or federal), was responsible for the violation, rather than a private actor. 

• standing
• constitutional law
• lawsuit
• state action
• First Amendment
• freedom of speech
• racial discrimination
• discrimination

• Alabama (see Title 41)
• Alaska- Title 44
• Arizona- Title 41
• Arkansas (see Title 25)
• California

A state of emergency is a government declaration stating that because of some crisis, the normal workings of political and social life are suspended in the given jurisdiction.  A state of emergency may alter government operations, order specific action by individuals, and suspend regular civil rights. 

[Last reviewed in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]