Aguilar-Spinelli test
The Aguilar-Spinelli test is a legal standard used in the United States to evaluate the validity of a search warrant based on information provided by an informant. It stems from two U.S. Supreme Court cases: Aguilar v.
The Aguilar-Spinelli test is a legal standard used in the United States to evaluate the validity of a search warrant based on information provided by an informant. It stems from two U.S. Supreme Court cases: Aguilar v.
A fortiori refers to an argument based on an even stronger previous argument. In Latin, the term literally means ‘from [the] stronger.’
The argument implies that if the first is true, the second is even more likely to be true.
A priori refers to an assertion based on prior knowledge or intuition. In Latin, the term literally means “from what is earlier.” An a priori determination is formed before investigation. For example, assuming that the road will be wet when it stops raining a minute before would be a priori reasoning.
A priori is the opposite of a posteriori, or after-the-fact knowledge.
A.K.A. is the abbreviation of “also known as.” It is often used to specify a party’s aliases or nicknames in a case.
[Last reviewed in November of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Ab initio is a Latin term that means "from the beginning” or “from inception.” Ab initio is used to indicate that some fact existed from the start of a relevant time period. It is often used as part of the phrase “void ab initio,” meaning something – such as a marriage – was void from the beginning.
To abate means to eliminate or to nullify.
This verb usually arises in the context of abatement.
[Last reviewed in October of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Abatement is the act of reducing or nullifying something. Multiple subjects throughout law are subject to abatement and the term appears in many locations.
Abatement ab initio is a rule in criminal law which negates a conviction if the defendant died before they could exhaust all appeals. In People v.
Abscond means leaving a jurisdiction secretly or suddenly, e.g.
Absolute disparity is a calculation used to analyze a claim that a jury pool did not represent a fair cross-section of the community; for instance, a jury pool that is composed of only white jurors in a community that is predominantly Black. It is calculated by subtracting the percentage of a group in the jury pool from the percentage of that group in the general population.