A past case that a court follow when making a present decisions.

A person who is accused of a crime.

The party that accuses a person of a crime. In a criminal proceeding, the government is referred to as the plaintiff.

Formal papers are filed by the plaintiff. Procedures can often be altered or changed by the agreement of the parties and judge.

Criminal case starts when the defendant is arrested. Defendants have a right to due process. Procedures must be followed exactly.

An appeal can only be based on a legal mistake by the judge.

When parties to a dispute invites a third party to help them to solve the problem. The third party tries to persuade the parties to compromise. This can be done voluntarily, or as required by a court.

An appeal is a request to a higher court to reverse a lower court’s decision. Appellate jurisdiction is the power to hear an appeal from a lower court.

A statute is created when legislature passes a proposed law, or bill. A law does not go into effect until the President (Federal Law) or Governor (State Law) signs it.

States must respect each other's laws and citizens. States are required to give "full faith and credit" to the laws and court decisions of other states.

The wrongful taking of property by someone lawfully entrusted with possession and control of that property.

What happens if a person is found guilty by reason of insanity?

Occurs when a person lies under oath during a court process or an administrative procedure.

The willful and malicious burning of a house or a building

Placing a false signature on a check or other document with the intent to deceive someone in order to deprive that person of his or her property.

Stealing goods from a store.

When criminals put money into legal businesses to hide large sums of money obtained illegally.

Interfering with somebody’s land or real property and/ anything built on, attached to or under the land.

The legal doctrine that says that some activities are so dangerous that liability will always follow any injury that results from those activities.

Contributory Negligence; Comparative Negligence; Assumption of Risk

Intentional Torts

This statute provides prison terms and fines for anyone who creates an electronic duplicate of a copyrighted work for commercial profit or private financial gain.

Involves transmitting computer viruses to people to destroy their computer system or files.

A crime in which a cybercriminal falsely adopts the identity of another computer user or creates a false identity on a computer Web site in order to commit fraud.

The taking back of an offer by the offeror

A contract the court will not uphold, generally because of some rule of law, such as the statute of limitations.

Invitations to deal, trade, or make an offer.

If a minor disaffirms a contract

Something a party gives up in an agreement.

Contracts that pay somebody else’s debts; Contracts to pay debts of a person who has died; Contracts requiring more than a year to perform; contracts in consideration of marriage; Contracts for the sale of goods; Contracts to sell real property

Promissory Estoppel is the principle that a promise made without consideration may nonetheless be enforced to prevent injustice and is an example of an exception to the requirement of consideration.

Asks the court to order the other party in a contract to do what he or she agreed to do.

An act that threatens a person’s income or business that makes that person enter a contract without real consent.

How many days do you have to report an error on your credit card bill?

The Act was passed to protect consumers from being harassed by debt collectors and to make it illegal for those collectors to impersonate government officials.

Also called Ordinary Bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee gathers and sells the debtor's nonexempt assets and uses the proceeds of such assets to pay holders of claims (creditors) in accordance with the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code.

In this Bankruptcy, you use your income to pay some or all of what you owe to your creditors over time -- from three to five years, depending on the size of your debts and income.

What are the three national credit reporting agencies?

When a portion of a person’s paycheck is withheld for payment of a debt. It cannot exceed 25 percent of their take-home pay.

Also called the Consumer Protection Act, this law was designed to promote the informed use of consumer credit, by requiring disclosures about its terms and cost to standardize the manner in which costs associated with borrowing are calculated and disclosed.

A legal proceeding involving a person or business that is unable to repay outstanding debts.

Makes employers responsible for verifying the identity and employment eligibility of all employees.

A government program that provides continuing income to workers and their dependents when their earnings stop or are reduced because of retirement, disability, or death.

The purpose of this Agency is to set up a national policy for fighting pollution, and to protect the environment and human health from exposure to hazardous chemicals and waste.

Agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It also hears complaints about discrimination.

An organization of employees formed to promote the welfare of its members.

Requires employers to negotiate wages, hours, and conditions of employment with unions. It also created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hear complains about unfair labor practices.

Forbids discrimination on the basis of a disability if the disabled individual can do the essential functions of a job.

Created in 1977, it has a dual function: to develop and implement a national policy on energy resources and it has the responsibility for the nation’s nuclear energy program.