| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Habeas corpus | A writ used as a means to bring a person before the court to determine whether he/she is being detained unlawfully. |
| Harmless error | An error committed during a trial that was corrected or was not serious enough to affect the outcome of a trial and therefore was not sufficiently harmful (prejudicial) to be reversed on appeal. |
| Hearing proceedings | A record of the testimony and evidence entered. |
| Hearsay | Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court. |
| Hostile witness | A witness whose testimony is not favorable to the party who calls him/her as a witness. A hostile witness may be asked leading questions and may be cross examined by the party who calls him/her to the stand. |
| Hung jury | Jury unable to reach a verdict. |
| Immunity | Grant by the court, which assures someone will not face prosecution in return for providing criminal evidence. |
| Impeachment of a witness | An attack on the credibility (believability) of a witness, through evidence introduced for that purpose. |
| Implied consent | Requirement to take a chemical test when arrested for driving under the influence. |
| In camera | In chambers, or in private. A hearing in camera takes place in the judge's office outside of the presence of the jury and the public. |
| In forma pauperis | In the manner of a pauper. Permission given to a person to sue without payment of court fees on claim of indigence or poverty. |
| In-custody arraignments (jail cases) | Arrests and filed cases going to court in which there has not been a release on bond or by other means. |
| Inadmissible | That which, under the rules of evidence, cannot be admitted or received as evidence. |
| Incarcerate | To confine in jail. |
| Independent executor | A special kind of executor, permitted by the laws of certain states, who perfoms the duties of an executor without intervention by the court. |
| Indeterminate sentence | A sentence of imprisonment to a specified minimum and maximum period of time, specifically authorized by statute, subject to termination by a parole board or other authorized agency after the prisoner has served the minimum term. |
| Indictment | A formal charging document issued by a grand jury to the court, that the named person committed a specific offense. |
| Indigent | Needy or improverished. A defendant who can demonstrate his/her indigence to the court may be assigned a court-appointed attorney at public expense. |
| Information | A formal charging document issued by the State Attorney, that the named person committed a specific offense. |
| Infraction | A violation of law not punishable by imprisonment. Minor traffic offenses generally are considered infractions. |
Glossary
