Legal glossary for court interpreters

S

Seal

To mark a document with a seal; to authenticate or make binding by affixing a seal. Court seal, corporate seal.

Search warrant

A written order issued by a judge that directs a law enforcement officer to search a specific area for a particular piece of evidence.

Secondary authority

Legal encyclopedias, treatises, legal texts, law review articles, and citators. Writings which set forth the opinion of the writer as to the law.

Secured debts

In bankruptcy, a debt is secured if the debtor gave the creditor a right to repossess the property or goods used as collateral.

Securities an Exchange Commission (SEC)

A federal agency which monitors the securities industry.

Self-defense

The claim that an act otherwise criminal was legally justifiable because it was necessary to protect a person or property from the threat or action of another.

Self-incrimination, privilege against

The constitutional right of people to refuse to give testimony against themselves that could subject them to criminal prosecution. The right is guaranteed in the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution . Asserting the right is often referred to as "taking the Fifth."

Self-proving will

A will whose validity does not have to be testified to in court by the witnesses to it, since the witnesses executed an affidavit reflecting proper execution of the will prior to the maker's death.

Sentence

The punishment ordered by a court for a defendant convicted of a crime. (See concurrent and consecutive sentences.)

Sentence Report

(See Presentence Report.)

Sequester

To separate. Sometimes juries are separated from outside influences during their deliberations. For example, this may occur during a highly publicized trial.

Sequestration of witnesses

Keeping all witnesses (except plaintiff and defendant) out of the courtroom except for their time on the stand, and cautioning them not to discuss their testimony with other witnesses. Also referred to as "separation of witnesses."

Service of process

The delivering of writs, summonses, and subpoenas by delivering them to the party named in the document. Also referred to as "service."

Settlement

An agreement between the parties disposing of a lawsuit.

Settlor

The person who sets up a trust. Also referred to as "grantor."

Shepardizing

Method for finding subsequent development of a legal theory by tracing status of a case as legal authority.

Sheriff

The executive officer of local court in some areas. In other jurisdictions the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of a county.

Sherman Act

The basic antitrust statute prohibiting any unreasonable interference, conspiracy, restraint of trade, or monopolies with respect to interstate commerce.

Sidebar

A conference between the judge and lawyers, usually in the courtroom, out of earshot of the jury and spectators.

Slander

Spoken defamation which tends to injure a person's reputation. (See libel.)