Law Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Law, courts, legal matters, etc. You can also see entries assigned to this category.

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super-seal v. Super-sealing is a relatively new word in the legal lexicon that describes the total eclipse of entire cases or individual pleadings by keeping everything about them—even case and docket numbers—secret. [English United States Law Jargon] [full cite] (Nov. 20, 2004)

swear-to n. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III requested the Monday morning hearing—often called a “swear-to,” where police present facts needed to issue an arrest warrant—be sealed. [English Law Jargon] [full cite] (Jun. 7, 2006)

Teen Endangerment Act n. Late the evening of Sept. 29, senators declined to invoke “cloture”—closing debate and moving to a substantive vote on a measure—on S. 403, the “Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.”…But abortion-rights advocates said the Senate’s action was necessary because of the draconian restrictions in the legislation. They referred to it as the “Teen Endangerment Act.” [English Law Politics Sex & Sexuality Euphemism] [full cite] (Oct. 5, 2006)

Terry stop n. In any event, Desjaridns said police have the right to perform what is called a “Terry” stop, named for the U.S. Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio. In that case, an officer observed an individual loitering outside of a store, wearing long overcoat in the middle of July. The officer performed a search and determined the individual was armed. The individual was charged with attempted robbery although no robbery actually occurred. [English United States Law Police] [full cite] (Dec. 30, 2007)

Terry stop n. Mayor Valley and his brother, city attorney Andre Valley, disagree. The siblings say Terry v. Ohio, a Supreme Court ruling, gives their police the right to stop and search anyone for a brief period of time. The 1968 opinion created what is known as a “Terry stop,” which allows police officers to frisk a suspect they believe is about to commit a crime. [English Law Police] [full cite] (Sep. 12, 2008)

testilying n. Allegations of “testilying,” as such false or misleading testimony is sometimes called, continue to tarnish Boston’s criminal justice system. [ Language English Register Slang Subject Law] [full cite] (Oct. 24, 2005)

three plastic animals rule n. The “three plastic animals rule” in Christmas display cases seems to confirm that religious symbols must be disrespectfully cheapened to be widely acceptable. [ Language English Subject Law Religion] [full cite] (Dec. 14, 2005)

three plastic animals rule n. The Court held unconstitutional the nativity scene in Allegheny, which was tastefully displayed with a backdrop of greenery and poinsettias, but unaccompanied by secular signs of the season. Practitioners have dubbed the holdings in Lynch and Allegheny “the three-plastic animals rule.” [ Language English Subject Law Religion] [full cite] (Dec. 14, 2005)

three plastic animals rule n. In 1995, after ACLU sued, Jersey City added a six-foot-high Santa Claus, a three-and-a half-foot-tall Frosty the Snowman, a four-foot-high sleigh, Kwanzaa symbols and a sign explaining that it was celebrating the diverse heritage of the people of Jersey City. This has now come to be called the three plastic animals rule. [ Language English Subject Law Religion] [full cite] (Dec. 14, 2005)

three plastic animals rule n. In the past, the Supreme Court has subscribed to what lawyers call a “three plastic animals” rule for religious displays: If a crèche in a town square, for example, is surrounded by a wishing well and a laughing clown, it’s constitutional. The logic is that reasonable observers perceive unadorned religious displays to be endorsements of religion, while the addition of kitschy accoutrements turns the display into a celebration of Americana. [ Language English Subject Law Religion] [full cite] (Dec. 14, 2005)

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