General Litigation
| Relief from a Judgment in a Civil Lawsuit |
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| In Ohio and some other states, a judgment is final 30 days after it is entered in a case. Is it possible to get any relief from the judgment after the 30-day period has expired? This article discusses reasons for setting aside, reopening, correcting, or obtaining judicial relief from a final judgment. More... |
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| Innovations in Jury Trials |
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| States have implemented various innovative procedures to assist jurors during trials. The changes are aimed at improving juror understanding of the evidence and the court proceedings. Jurors are permitted to take notes during the trial in some courts. Trial judges in some courts have discretion to give jurors copies of preliminary jury instructions when the trial starts. In some courts, jurors can submit questions for witnesses. They can even discuss the case among themselves before jury deliberations begin. More... |
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| The Common Law and Judicial Precedent |
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| The common law developed from unwritten English law, which was based on tradition and custom. English common law is the basis for federal law and the law of all states, except Louisiana (whose law is based on the Napoleonic Code or the French Civil Code). The most important characteristic of common law is that it is judge-made law rather the law derived from constitutions, statutes, regulations and ordinances, which are legislative enactments. Under the common law system, current cases are decided using the precedents established by past judicial decisions. More... |
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| State Appellate Procedural Process |
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| If a litigant is dissatisfied with the trial court's judgment, the litigant can file an appeal. The party who files the appeal is called the appellant; the other party is called the appellee or respondent. This article discusses the steps in the state appellate procedural process. More... |
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| Racial Profiling and the Criminal Justice System |
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| Racial profiling refers to the law enforcement practice of using race as a factor in deciding who is a suspicious person that should be investigated. Racial profiling is illegal.
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