Arson is a crime at common law, originally defined as “the malicious burning of the dwelling of another.” However, the definition changes slightly depending upon the jurisdiction. For some jurisdictions, arson is the intentional setting of a fire to a building, others it is the intentional setting of a fire to a building where people live.
Assault is generally defined as an intentional act that puts another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. No physical injury is required, but the actor must have intended to cause a harmful or offensive contact with the victim and the victim must have thereby been put in immediate apprehension of such a contact.
Assault and battery is a modern legal term which combines assault with the separate charge of battery. Assault refers to the wrong act of causing someone to reasonably fear imminent harm. This means that the fear must be something a reasonable person would foresee as threatening to them. Battery refers to the actual wrong act of physically harming someone.
Even if a defendant fails to fully complete a crime, they can still be charged with the attempt of that crime, i.e. in the case of an uncompleted or inchoate offense. The requirements for proving attempts vary by jurisdiction, though a party must always cross the line from mere thoughts or preparation to be found guilty of an attempted crime.
Attest means to testify or confirm that something is true, genuine, or authentic. Some common usages of the term “attest” in a legal sense include:
An attorney is someone authorized to practice law; a lawyer, also called attorney-at-law.
See: lawyer.
See, e.g. Supreme Court of Virginia v. Consumers Union of U.S., Inc., 446 U.S. 719 (1980)
See also:
Attorney Fees refer to the payment to attorneys for their legal services. Fees can take several forms including: 1) hourly charge, 2) a flat fee, 3) a contingent fee (must be reasonable), 4) statutory fees, 5) court approved fees, 6) a mixture of hourly and contingent fee or other combination.
