To Mirandize a person refers to the act of reading or reciting a Miranda warning. A police officer is required to Mirandize a detainee after arrest and prior to beginning interrogation. The requirement to give Miranda warnings came from the Supreme Court decision, Miranda v.
In criminal law, a miscarriage of justice can be defined as an outcome in a judicial proceeding that is unjust, unfair or improper. The term miscarriage is oftentimes used to describe an error made by the Court that results in the conviction of an innocent person for a crime they did not commit.
Misconduct is wrongful or unlawful behavior. In criminal law, misconduct often refers to official misconduct and sexual misconduct.
[Last reviewed in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
In a legal context, “misfeasance” refers to the improper performance of a lawful act, resulting in harm or injury to another person or entity.
Misprision of felony is the crime of deliberately concealing and failing to report knowledge of the commission of a felony.
In general, a mistake is an error or misconception. This definition also applies in the legal world, but the type of mistake and the circumstances surrounding it decide what legal implications, if any, the mistake will have.
A mistake of fact is a mistake about a material factual element or mistaken belief other than a mistake of law. Examples include erroneous beliefs about the meaning of a legal term or about the identity of some person.
A mistake of law is a mistake about the legal effect of a factual situation.
A mistrial occurs when a jury is unable to reach a verdict and there must be a new trial with a new jury; or there is a serious procedural error or misconduct that would result in an unfair trial, and the judge adjourns the case withou
A mitigating circumstance is a factor that lessens the severity of an act or the actor’s culpability for the action.
