Glossary of Legal Terms & Definitions
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- Magistrate A term that broadly refers to all judges or a judicial officer that assists U.S. district court judges in preparing cases for trial.
- Maintenance Also known as alimony, is money paid by one spouse to the other to financially support them as they did during marriage while they are going through a divorce or separation.
- Mediation A form of Alternative Dispute Resolution that allows parties to an action to informally resolve a dispute without going through the court system.
- Misdemeanor A criminal offense less serious than a felony punishable by fine or imprisonment for less than one year.
- Mistrial A mistrial is declared when a fundamental error occurs during a trial and a new jury must be selected to restart the trial.
- Moot A moot case or point is one that has already been resolved prior to needing a court decision, leaving nothing left for a court to decide.
- Motion A written request submitted to a court or judge requesting a ruling or order in that party’s favor.
- Motion to Dismiss In a criminal case, a motion to dismiss is a written request, typically filed by a defendant, arguing that the case should be thrown out for a violation of their rights or other legal issue.