Legal Lingo Glossary – Terms Made Simple
Courtroom Terms Explained | DUI
Implied Consent
Definition: A legal principle stating that by driving on public roads, you automatically agree to submit to chemical testing (breath, blood, or urine) if lawfully arrested for suspected DUI. Refusal can lead to automatic license suspension and additional penalties.
Per Se DUI
Definition: A DUI charge based solely on a driver’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) being at or above the legal limit (0.08% in most states), regardless of actual impairment.
Field Sobriety Test (FST)
Definition: A series of physical and cognitive exercises such as the walk-and-turn or one-leg stand used by law enforcement to assess a driver’s coordination and possible impairment before an arrest.
Wet Reckless
Definition: A reduced charge from a DUI, typically resulting from a plea bargain, where the defendant pleads guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol. It carries lighter penalties than a DUI but still remains on the driving record.
Administrative License Suspension (ALS)
Definition: A penalty imposed by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that suspends a driver’s license shortly after a DUI arrest, even before the criminal case is resolved, often triggered by a failed or refused chemical test.
Courtroom Lingo Glossary DUI, Criminal Law & Legal Terms Explained
Stay informed with our easy-to-read glossary of courtroom terms used in DUI cases, criminal trials, and California justice proceedings.
Each definition is written in plain language, helping you follow complex cases and legal updates without confusion. Perfect for students, journalists, trial watchers, and anyone interested in law and true crime.
common court lingo terms
Superior Court breach of contract case
filing or initiating a criminal law case
Superior Court breach of contract case
Cause of Action
Definition: The specific legal claim a plaintiff makes against the defendant. In a breach of contract case, the cause of action is the allegation that the defendant failed to fulfill the terms of a legally binding agreement.
Material Breach
Definition: A significant failure to perform under a contract that goes to the heart
Cause of Action
Definition: The specific legal claim a plaintiff makes against the defendant. In a breach of contract case, the cause of action is the allegation that the defendant failed to fulfill the terms of a legally binding agreement.
Material Breach
Definition: A significant failure to perform under a contract that goes to the heart of the agreement, allowing the non-breaching party to seek damages or terminate the contract entirely.
Specific Performance
Definition: A court-ordered remedy requiring the breaching party to actually fulfill their obligations under the contract instead of (or in addition to) paying money damages—often used when the subject of the contract is unique.
Damages
Definition: The monetary compensation awarded to the non-breaching party to cover the loss caused by the breach. In Superior Court, damages can include compensatory, consequential, and, in some cases, punitive amounts.
Affirmative Defense
Definition: A legal argument the defendant uses to avoid liability even if the plaintiff’s allegations are true. Common affirmative defenses in breach of contract include fraud, duress, mutual mistake, or the statute of limitations.
filing for divorce
filing or initiating a criminal law case
Superior Court breach of contract case
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
Definition: The initial legal document filed by one spouse (the petitioner) to start a divorce case. It outlines basic facts about the marriage, the grounds for divorce, and requests for orders on property division, custody, or support.
Respondent
Definition: The spouse who receives the divorce petition
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
Definition: The initial legal document filed by one spouse (the petitioner) to start a divorce case. It outlines basic facts about the marriage, the grounds for divorce, and requests for orders on property division, custody, or support.
Respondent
Definition: The spouse who receives the divorce petition and has the legal right to respond within a set period (30 days in California) to either agree with or contest the requests made.
Community Property
Definition: In states like California, all assets and debts acquired during the marriage (except certain gifts and inheritances) that are subject to equal division in a divorce.
Spousal Support (Alimony)
Definition: Court-ordered payments from one spouse to the other after separation or divorce, intended to help the lower-earning spouse maintain a similar standard of living.
Decree of Dissolution (Final Judgment)
Definition: The final court order officially ending the marriage, which includes all terms on property division, custody, child support, and spousal support.
filing or initiating a criminal law case
filing or initiating a criminal law case
filing or initiating a criminal law case
Complaint
Definition: The formal written statement filed by a prosecutor (or sometimes a law enforcement agency) charging an individual with a criminal offense and outlining the essential facts of the alleged crime.
Indictment
Definition: A formal criminal charge issued by a grand jury, stating there is enough evidence to bring the accused
Complaint
Definition: The formal written statement filed by a prosecutor (or sometimes a law enforcement agency) charging an individual with a criminal offense and outlining the essential facts of the alleged crime.
Indictment
Definition: A formal criminal charge issued by a grand jury, stating there is enough evidence to bring the accused to trial. Indictments are typically used in more serious felony cases.
Information
Definition: A formal charging document filed by a prosecutor—without a grand jury—that accuses someone of committing a crime and details the alleged offense(s).
Arraignment
Definition: The first court appearance of a defendant after being formally charged, where they are informed of the charges and asked to enter a plea (guilty, not guilty, or no contest).
Probable Cause
Definition: The legal standard requiring enough facts and evidence to justify a reasonable belief that a person committed a crime, used to support arrests, searches, and filing charges.
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