Law terminology · MLC-0107

Law terms: P (31)

• panel(1) In appellate cases, a group of judges (usually three) assigned to decide the case. (2) In the jury...
• paroleThe release of a prison inmate - formerly granted by the U.S. Parole Commission - after the inmate has...
• partyAn individual or entity involved in a legal action, such as a plaintiff and defendant in a civil case.
• Party in interestA party who has standing to be heard by the court in a matter to be decided in a bankruptcy case. The debtor...
• per curiamLatin, meaning "for the court." In appellate courts, often refers to an unsigned opinion.
• peremptory challengeA district court may grant each side in a civil or criminal trial the right to exclude a certain number of...
• petit juryA group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in...
• petitionA formal application in writing made to a court or other official body requesting judicial action of some...
• Petition preparerA person or business not authorized to practice law that prepares bankruptcy petitions.
• Petty offenseA federal misdemeanor punishable by six months or less in prison.
• plaintiffA person or entity that files a civil lawsuit.
• PlanA detailed proposal by the bankruptcy plan proponent (usually the debtor) for how claims or interests of the...
• pleaIn a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges. See...
• PleadingsWritten statements filed with the court that describe a party's legal or factual assertions about the case.
• Postpetition transferA transfer of property of the bankruptcy estate made after the commencement of the bankruptcy case.
• Prebankruptcy planningThe arrangement (or rearrangement) of a debtor's property or other circumstances before bankruptcy to allow...
• precedentA court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a...
• Preference (bankruptcy)A debt payment made to a creditor in the 90-day period before a debtor files bankruptcy (or within one year...
• Presentence reportA report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense...
• Pretrial conferenceA meeting of the judge and lawyers or parties prior to a trial, to discuss which matters should be presented...
• Pretrial servicesA function of the federal courts that takes place at the very start of the criminal justice process - after a...
• priorityThe Bankruptcy Code's statutory ranking of unsecured claims that determines the order in which unsecured...
• Priority claimAn unsecured claim that is entitled to be paid ahead of other unsecured claims that are either of lower...
• pro seA Latin term meaning “on one’s own behalf.” In courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases...
• pro temA Latin phrase meaning "temporary." In the law, it's used to refer to a temporary assignment of a judge to...
• probationA sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision...
• Probation officerOfficers of the probation office of a court. Probation officer duties include conducting presentence...
• procedureThe rules for conducting a case before the court. There are rules of civil, criminal, evidence, bankruptcy...
• Proof of claimA written statement describing the reason a debtor owes a creditor money, which typically sets forth the...
• Property of the estateAll legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case.
• prosecuteTo charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.

31 of 241 terms in Law terminology (MLC-0107). Request the full dataset.