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. Take New York’s Criminal Code, for...
criminal law and procedure
in absentia
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. Mann, the Second Circuit...
in limine
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.
A motion in limine is...
in pro per
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...
In re Gault (1967)
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. The Court opined that due...
inadmissible
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...
incapacitation
In criminal law, incapacitation is the act of rendering an individual incapable of committing future crimes. Historically, this was accomplished by either execution or banishment. In modern times, this is typically accomplished by...
incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person, often in a correctional or psychiatric facility. Incarceration is often used in reference to criminal sentences imposed by a court of law. Statutes such as the United States Code (U.S.C.) and...
incest
Incest is marriage or sexual intercourse with a relative within the prohibited degree of consanguinity. In other words, incest is sexual contact between close blood relatives, including brothers and sisters, parents and children,...
inchoate
Inchoate means something that is partially complete. In other words, it means something that has begun but has not been completed, such as a potential crime for which all the elements have not been accomplished, or a contract that has not...