They say crime doesn’t pay, but people who commit extortion and blackmail would probably disagree. Are these criminals committing the same crime, or will they face different charges? In this article, we will define the words extortion and blackmail, break down the difference between them, and give examples of how they might be applied to different criminal scenarios. What is the difference between extortion and …
Misdemeanors and felonies are both crimes, but there are differences when it comes to what crimes they refer to and how severe the punishment will be if someone commits either of them. In this article, we’ll take a bite out of crime by examining what the words misdemeanor and felony mean, explaining the common differences between them and providing examples of crimes that are typically …
As the nation’s highest court, the US Supreme Court takes on some of the most complex—and often the most controversial—cases. Often adding to the complexity and confusion around the cases and rulings themselves are the formal legal terms used in the justices’ written decisions—and in the analysis of them. writ of certiorari A writ of certiorari, often shortened to just certiorari, is a demand from …
Can you really name your baby that?! Picking a baby name that everyone (from grandma to the grocery clerk) likes can be a fruitless, futile endeavor. Coming up with one that confounds the whole world is seemingly a lot easier. Take Elon Musk, chief of Tesla and SpaceX, and singer Grimes, who recently announced the birth of their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, or “Y” for …
The words jail and prison are sometimes used interchangeably, but they can imply different things. Commonly held distinctions relate to the size of the facility and how long someone is being held there. In this article, we’ll lay out the differences between casual and official use of these words, explain what they often mean in practical terms, and discuss and define similar terms, including penitentiary, …
The widespread attention on the conservatorship case involving pop star Britney Spears has a lot of people who aren’t lawyers wondering: What is a conservatorship? What does it entail? And how is a conservatorship different from guardianship? It’s difficult to provide a short answer. That’s because, in the US, conservatorships and guardianships are both governed by state law, and the specific definition varies from state …
As the George Floyd protests have grown and spread, many activists have been calling to defund the police. Whether chanted in demonstrations or posted as hashtags on social media, the phrase defund the police has proven to be a forceful rallying cry. People are listening. But, people are also asking questions. What does it mean, exactly, to defund the police? Indeed, it seems many people …
How can a person cause the death of another without the act being considered a murder? In US law, it can come down to differences between manslaughter and murder—which comes down to differences in intent and degree. What does manslaughter mean? Manslaughter, simply defined, is “the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought.” US law designates two types of manslaughter: voluntary and involuntary. …
Two recent events have raised the complicated question of whether or not dictionaries belong in courtrooms. A murder trial in Virginia was disrupted because the jurors illicitly consulted two dictionaries and a thesaurus. (The defense is currently seeking a mistrial.) And even on the Supreme Court it seems dictionaries are being misused. In the past, judges have resorted to the dictionary to decide important trials, …