Criminal Defense Terms and Definitions

Search warrant An order issued by a judge or magistrate commanding a sheriff, constable, or other officer to search a specified location. Bench warrant An order issued by the court for the arrest of a person Levy A seizure; the obtaining of money by legal process through seizure and sale of property. Subpoena An official order to appear in court (or at a deposition) at a specific time. Failure to obey a subpoena to appear in court is punishable as a contempt of court. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Methods of resolving disputes outside of official court proceedings. These methods include mediation arbitration, and conciliation. Fourth Amendment The 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects every person against unreasonable search and seizure by government officials. Miranda rule The rule, pronounced in Miranda v. Arizona, that confessions are inadmissible in a criminal prosecution if the police do not advise the suspect in custody of certain rights before questioning. Restitution Court-ordered payment to restore goods or money to the victim of a crime by the offender. Assault A willful attempt to illegally inflict injury on or threaten a person. Fraud An intentional perversion of truth; deceitful practice or device resorted to with intent to deprive another of property or other right.

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	Did You Know?
	Res Ipsa Loquitur - Literally, "a thing that speaks for itself." In tort law, the doctrine which holds a defendant guilty of negligence without an actual showing that he or she was negligent. Its use is limited in theory to cases in which the cause of the plaintiff's injury was entirely under the control of the defendant, and the injury presumably could have been caused only by negligence.