Mental health and the law interact in numerous ways. The term "competence" signifies a legal conclusion that an individual is capable of entering into a binding contract, transferring assets, or participating in a legal proceeding. The...
criminal law and procedure
merger
In general, a merger is the act of uniting separate things. Specifically -
1. In corporate law, a merger is the absorption of one corporation into another. The surviving corporation acquires all the assets and liabilities of...
merger doctrine
In criminal law, if a defendant commits a single act that simultaneously fulfills the definition of two separate offenses, merger will occur. This means that the lesser of the two offenses will drop out, and the defendant will only be charged...
MIMIC Rule
The MIMIC Rule refers to the purposes for which a court will allow the introduction of evidence of prior crimes, wrongs, or actions of a defendant. Federal Rule of Evidence Rule 404(b) prohibits the use of such evidence for the purpose of...
minor
In the United States, a minor is any individual under the specified “age of majority” for their state or territory., All states define an age of majority, which is usually set at 18, but states like Indiana and Mississippi set it at 21, while...
Miranda rule
The Miranda Rule refers to the constitutional requirement that police officers give detainees a Miranda warning that describes their constitutional rights when faced with interrogation.
The requirement to give Miranda...
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Miranda v. Arizona is the Supreme Court case where it was held that the custodial interrogation of an individual must be accompanied by an instruction that the person has the right to remain silent, any statements made can be used against the...
Miranda warning
A "Miranda warning" refers to the warnings that a police officer is required to give to a detainee based on constitutional requirements.
The requirement to give Miranda warnings came from the Supreme Court decision, Miranda...
Mirandize
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...
miscarriage (of justice)
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...