Statutory rape is defined by statute as an act of sexual intercourse with a person under the age of consent, which is considered to constitute rape under the law, whether the person is willing or not. In statutory rape, there is usually no...
criminal law
stay of execution
Stay of execution is directed by a court to stop some form of enforcement action. A stay of execution can apply in many circumstances like stopping the sale of property in bankruptcy or the execution of a death penalty. When a stay of...
strict liability
**(Contrast with general intent and specific intent)**
Overview
In both tort and criminal law, strict liability exists when a defendant is liable for committing an action, regardless of what his/her intent or mental state was when...
successive sentences
When a criminal defendant gets convicted of a crime, the judge will impose a sentence appropriate for the conduct. If the defendant gets convicted on multiple charges, they will face multiple sentences. The sentences can be applied either...
suicide
Suicide is the intentional taking of one’s own life. This case from Maryland, explains that “suicide is the intentional taking of one’s own life, i.e., by his or her own hands.”
Suicide is no longer considered a crime in the...
suspect
A suspect is a person who is believed to have committed a crime, but has not yet been found guilty. If a suspect received an arrest warrant, they might then be identified as a defendant; and after the suspect was convicted or found guilty,...
suspended sentence
In criminal law, a suspended sentence is an alternative to imprisonment where a judge may partially or entirely suspend the convicted individual's prison or jail sentence so long as they fulfill certain conditions. If the conditions are...
tainted evidence
In a criminal trial, tainted evidence, also referred to as evidence of taint, is evidence that was acquired by illegal means. For example, if authorities gather evidence using a wiretap without a proper warrant, the evidence will be deemed...
taking of hostages
The taking of hostages, if perpetrated as part of an armed conflict, is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The prosecutor must show the following elements:
the perpetrator seized, detained, or otherwise held the...taking the Fifth
“Taking the Fifth" or “pleading the Fifth” are colloquial terms used to refer to an individual’s decision to invoke their right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. During questioning by...