Search Warrant - A written order issued by a judge that directs a law enforcement officer to search a specific area for a particular piece or pieces of evidence.
Seal - To mark a document with a seal; to authenticate or make binding by affixing a seal. Court Seal, Corporate Seal.
Sentence - The punishment ordered by a court for a defendant convicted of a crime.
Sequester - To separate. Sometimes juries are separated from outside influences during their deliberations.
Service of Process - The delivering of writs, summonses, and subpoenas by delivering them to the party named in the document.
Settlement - An agreement between the parties disposing of a lawsuit.
Sheriff - The executive officer of local courts in some areas. In other jurisdictions the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of a particular county.
Slander - Spoken defamation which tends to injure a person’s reputation.
Small Claims Court - A state court that handles civil claims for small amounts of money. People often represent themselves rather than hire an attorney.
Speedy Trial Act - Federal law establishing time limits for carrying out major events, i.e. indictment, arraignment, etc., in a criminal prosecution.
Standing - The legal right to bring a lawsuit. Only a person with something at stake has standing to bring a lawsuit.
Statute - Legislative enactment; it may be a single act of a legislature or a body of acts which are collected and arranged for a session of a legislature.
Statute of Limitations - A statute which limits the right of a plaintiff to file an action unless it is done within a specified time period after the occurrence which gives rise to the right to sue.
Statutory - Relating to a statute; created or defined by a law.
Stay - A court order halting a judicial proceeding.
Stipulation - An agreement between the parties involved in a suit regulating matters incidental to trial.
Strict Liability - Concept applied by the courts in product liability cases that when a manufacturer presents his goods for public sale, he is representing that they are suitable for their intended use.
Strike - Highlighting in the record of a case, evidence that has been improperly offered and will not be relied upon.
Subpoena - A command to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter.
Subpoena Duces Tecum - A court order commanding a witness to bring certain documents or records to court.
Summary Judgment - A judgment given on the basis of pleadings, affidavits, and exhibits presented for the record without any need for a trial. It is used when there is no dispute as to the facts of the case and one party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.
Summons - Instrument used to commence a civil action or special proceeding; the means of acquiring jurisdiction over a party.
Suppress - To forbid the use of evidence at a trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained.
Surety Bond - A bond purchased at the expense of the estate to insure the executor’s proper performance.
Suspension - A temporary loss of the right to practice law by an attorney.
Sustain - A court ruling upholding an objection or a motion.