Joint Petition

joint pe·ti·tion

/joint/pəˈtiSHən/

noun

Refers to a bankruptcy petition filed by a husband and wife together.

The couple filed a joint petition for bankruptcy.

Judge

Judge

/jəj/

noun

The official who has authority to decide any lawsuits brought before the court. This term refers to all officials of the Judicial branch.

The judge ruled that the man was not guilty.

Synonyms: justice, magistrate, sheriff, jurist

Judgment

judg·ment

/ˌˈjəjmənt/

noun

This is the official decision of the court; a judgment brings proceedings to a close.

After the judgement was made, all the jurors got to go home.

Synonyms: verdict, decision, adjudication, ruling, pronouncement, decree, finding

Jurisdiction

ju·ris·dic·tion

/ˌjo͝orisˈdikSHən/

noun

Relates to a court’s legal authority to hear and decide certain types of cases. Also refers to the geographic area where the court is allowed to decide cases.

The case was out of the court’s jurisdiction.

Synonyms:authority, control, power, dominion, rule, administration, command, sway, leadership, sovereignty, hegemony

Jury

ju·ry

/ˈjo͝orē/

noun

A group of individuals chosen to hear evidence during a trial and come to a verdict on matters of fact.

The jury came to a unanimous decision that the defendant was guilty.

Synonyms: board, tribunal, peers, judges

Things to Keep in Mind

* 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.