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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trigger law n. If approved, the ban would become what’s known as a “trigger law,” meaning that it would automatically come into effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion rights. [English Law] [full cite] (Mar. 19, 2007)

unicorn defense n. The mixup occurred when a deputy prosecutor misunderstood an e-mail from a colleague who used the phrase “unicorn defense,” thinking it was an actual statement from Holliday, Paxinos said. “Unicorn defense” is a slang term used by prosecutors when a defendant blames some mythical person for a crime, he said. [English Crime & Prisons Law] [full cite] (Mar. 15, 2007)

walkaway settlement n. The original fen-phen suit was filed in Boone County, Ky., Circuit Court and settled when American Home Products, which manufactured and sold the drug combination, put up $200 million in what is called a “walkaway” settlement. That means it was settling any and all cases arising from its actions. [English Law] [full cite] (Apr. 9, 2007)

whippy n. The system is broken, Donelon said, adding that he sees the evidence daily in the mounting number of “whippys”—defense attorney slang for whiplash claims, so common that they are paid out at a standard rate, even though the medical experts cannot vouch that anything is really wrong. [English Law Slang] [full cite] (May. 1, 2006)

whippy n. In Florida, back and neck strains are the most common personal-injury claim. They’re so common that attorneys have a nickname for them: “whippy’s.” That’s shorthand for whiplash suffered in, say, a rear-end collision. [English Law Slang] [full cite] (Jun. 7, 2007)

whippy n. The whippies, as the insurance industry calls whiplash claimants, account for this huge increase in BI claims. For the purpose of insurance statistics, whiplash is recorded as “sprains and strains,” ans since these sprains and strains nearly all involve the neck and the back, it is reasonable to equate them with whiplash. [English Law Slang] [full cite] (Jun. 7, 2007)

wobbler n. Second point on the jurisdiction of the court—certain offenses are what California lawyers call “wobblers”—they can be charged as either felonies OR misdemeanors [which is max of one year in California parlance]. [United States California Crime & Prisons Law] [full cite] (Jun. 28, 2004)

wobbler n. This is a 1326 case, where the defendant argued that his state conviction of “assault with a deadly weapon” was a “wobbler” (parlance for either a felony or misdemeanor). The 9th agreed that this offense could be a “wobbler,” but the presumption is that it is a felony, and that the state court must do something to indicate that it is a misdemeanor. [English Law] [full cite] (May. 25, 2006)

wobbler n. Johnson says the section creates what is known in California as a “wobbler.” “A wobbler can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor at the prosecutor’s discretion,” says Johnson. “The maximum penalty if charged as a felony is 3 years in state prison.” [English Law Slang] [full cite] (Sep. 7, 2006)

wobbler n. Section 273.5 cases are considered “wobblers” in law enforcement jargon, meaning charges can be filed either as misdemeanors or felonies. The decision is left to the arresting officer, detective supervisor and prosecutor. [Law Jargon] [full cite] (Sep. 7, 2006)

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