In legal proceedings, witnesses can serve as sources of evidence, offering firsthand accounts that can corroborate or refute claims made by parties involved. Their testimony can influence the outcome of a case by providing insights that might...
criminal law and procedure
witness stand
The witness stand is the location in a courtroom where a witness sits or stands while giving testimony. This is usually a platform to the left and slightly below the judge's seat. A witness called to testify is said to "take the stand."...
year and a day
Definition
A period of time running from any date until the same date in the following year, e.g. from January 1 to January 1 of the following year. At common law, the statute of limitations for filing certain claims and prosecuting certain crimes....
year and a day rule
Definition
A bright-line, common law rule that a person cannot be convicted of homicide for a death that occurs more than a year and a day after his or her act(s) that allegedly caused it. The rule arose from the difficulty of determining cause of...
year and day
Definition
See year and a day.
Illustrative caselawSee, e.g. Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 (2001).
See alsoYear and a day rule
yield
To yield is to give something up or surrender control, especially when required by law. For example, to stop in order to allow other vehicles or pedestrians to go past -- the right-of-way.
To yield is also to bring forth a result, as when a search...
youthful offender
A youthful offender is an adolescent who committed a crime, who may not be tried in an adult court; instead will be tried in a juvenile court. The youthful offenders may take some responsibility for the unlawful behavior and may not be...
zealous witness
A zealous witness is someone whose testimony is clearly biased in favor of the party for whom they are testifying. This is usually the case when a witness shows far more than expected enthusiasm when providing testimony.
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