criminal law and procedure

Impeachment of a witness refers to the process of discrediting or undermining the credibility of a witness during a trial, by presenting evidence or asking questions that contradict their testimony or reveal a bias, inconsistency, or falsehood in their statements.

Implied consent, compared to express consent (where consent is directly and clearly given with explicit words), is the agreement given by a person’s action (even just a gesture) or inaction, or can be inferred from certain circumstances by any reasonable person.

Impossibility is a defense from liability under criminal law and an excuse for non-performance under contract law. 

To impound refers to a process in both civil practice and criminal law, where the court or police take custody of personal property, such as an automobile or building. Generally, it is understood that the property will be returned to the

To imprison means to confine or physically restrict one’s personal liberty, usually in a jail or prison. As a penalty of  violating a criminal law, imprisonment varies differently from federal to state.

In-absentia (in ab-sen-shah) is Latin for "in absence," or more fully, in one's absence. A trial is sometimes called trial in absentia in cases where the trial is held without the presence of the accused. In Smith v.

In limine is a Latin term meaning "at the threshold". A motion in limine is a pretrial motion asking that certain evidence be found inadmissible, and that it not be referred to or offered at trial.

In pro per is a short form for the term in propria persona. In pro per is Latin, meaning “in their own person,” and it refers to a situation where a litigant represents themselves, without a lawyer. In pro per is synonymous with the more commonly used term pro se.

In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1 (1967), is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that juvenile criminal defendants are entitled to Due Process protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Inadmissible is an adjective used for something or someone not allowed or worthy of being admitted. In the rules of evidence, inadmissible would mean evidence that would be excluded in a court of law. Inadmissible or inadmissibility refers to unfit evidence in each legal action.