criminal law

blind tiger

Blind tiger is a place where liquor is sold illegally. This term was popular during the Prohibition Era (1920-33) when alcohol was illegal in the U.S. and it derives its name from the practice of disguising bars as establishments exhibiting...

blood-alcohol content (BAC)

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is the level of alcohol (understood as ethanol) circulating in the bloodstream. For example, a BAC level of 0.20% means that a person’s bloodstream contains 0.20g/dL (milligrams per deciliter) of alcohol for every...

boiler room

A boiler room is a telephone operation where salespeople cold-call a list of potential investors, in an attempt to get them to invest in stock, services, or goods. These salespeople may convince people to invest by making false claims,...

bond

A bond refers to an obligation to pay a specified amount of money.

In the field of business, a bond functions similar to a loan and is sold by entities seeking an inflow of cash now in exchange for the promise of future interest on...

bondsman

A bondsman is a person who guarantees a bond. Bondsmen are most frequently seen in the context of bail bondsman for criminal defendants.

A bail bondsman is a person who provides bail bonds for people charged with crimes and...

booking

Booking is the process where information about a criminal suspect is entered into the system of a police station or jail after that person’s arrest. Exact procedures may vary amongst jurisdictions, but most share similar features. Generally,...

breach

A breach is a violation of law or when a party fails to perform their part of a contractual agreement. For more information, see breach of contract.

[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]

breach of the peace

Breach of the peace is a generic phrase to describe a criminal offense that violates the public peace or order. Since numerous criminal offenses can be perceived as a violation of the public peace, this phrase is usually used to describe the...

breaking and entering

Breaking and entering is defined as the entering of a building through force without authorization. The slightest force including pushing open a door is all that is necessary. Breaking also includes entering a building through fraud, threats...

breathalyzer

A breathalyzer is the device used by law enforcement authorities to determine the amount of alcohol in a driver’s system through a breath sample.

[Last updated in April of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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