A partial defense is a type of defense that mitigates the defendant’s culpability. An example is the provocation defense in criminal law. If the defendant can prove that they were provoked to commit the crime, they can reduce their liability...
criminal law and procedure
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is a federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1531, that bans partial-birth abortion, also referred to as intact dilation and extraction, to terminate a pregnancy. In passing the statute, Congress found that “[a...
peculator
A peculator (also referred to as an embezzler) refers to a person who steals money that was under their supervision, by utilizing the benefit or convenience created by their position. The money is not limited to cash, and can include vouchers...
pen register
A pen register is a device or process that traces outgoing signals from a specific phone or computer to their destination; it is often used by law enforcement as the advanced counterpart of an outgoing call log. A pen register produces a list...
penitentiary
The term penitentiary is derived from the Latin term paenitentia, meaning repentance. A penitentiary refers to a prison or place of confinement used to hold and correct criminals who have been convicted of felonies. In the Roman Catholic...
people
People often appears as the title given in a case name to stand for the government party, with the idea that the government is representing the public in the case. For example, the title in the case People v. Thomas is representing the people...
People v. William Freeman (1847)
People v. William Freeman (1847) was the first case in the United States where a defendant used an insanity defense. The case was heard and decided by the New York Supreme Court.
William Freeman was a Black and Indigenous...
perjury
Perjury, also known as false oath, forswearing, and falsehood, refers to knowingly making a false statement under oath or knowingly signing a legal document that is false or includes false statements. While the exact definition of perjury...
permission to approach the witness
Permission to approach the witness is a request made by an attorney during a court proceeding to ask the presiding judge for permission before approaching the witness on the stand. The judge may grant or deny the request based on the specific...
perpetrator
A perpetrator is a person who committed a crime.
In the instance of a joint crime (if more than 2 persons are involved in a crime) it is necessary to clarify the criminal liability and punishment among the defendants. The...