Habeas Corpus

ha·be·as cor·pus

hābēəs ˈkôrpəs/

noun

This Latin term means ‘you have the body’. It is a writ which forces law enforcement to both produce a prisoner and justify the continued detainment of the inpidual. State prison inmates who believe their prosecutions involved a breach of federally protected rights commonly issue a writ of habeas corpus to federal judges.

He believed he was being detained unjustly so he filed a writ of habeas corpus.

Synonyms: civil rights

Hearsay

hear·say

/ˈhi(ə)rˌsā/

noun

Refers to evidence provided by a witness who did not hear or see the incident in question but heard about it from another inpidual. Generally speaking, hearsay is deemed to be inadmissible as evidence.

Everything they told the man they heard from others would have been ruled out as hearsay.

Synonyms: rumor, gossip, tittle-tattle, idle talk; stories, tales; the grapevine

* These terms are general in nature and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Different states may define terms differently. These terms are not designed to be legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Always seek advice from an attorney licensed in your state who is familiar with how your jurisdiction defines key legal terms that are important in your particular matter.