Criminal Defense Terms and Definitions

Levy A seizure; the obtaining of money by legal process through seizure and sale of property. Circumstantial evidence All evidence of an indirect nature. Testimony not based on actual personal knowledge or observation of the facts in controversy. Fraud An intentional perversion of truth; deceitful practice or device resorted to with intent to deprive another of property or other right. Tort An injury or wrong committed, either with or without force, to the person or property of another, for which civil liability may be imposed. Embezzlement The fraudulent appropriation by a person to his own use or benefit of property or money entrusted to him by another. Assault A willful attempt to illegally inflict injury on or threaten a person. Abstract of record A short, abbreviated form of the case as found in the record. Accessory A person who assists in the commission of a crime, either before or after the fact. Restitution Court-ordered payment to restore goods or money to the victim of a crime by the offender. Misdemeanor A minor offense, lower than a felony, which is punishable by a county jail term of up to one year and/or a fine, but not prison. Misdemeanors are classified into three categories: Class A, B, and C.

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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.