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courts and procedure | LII / Legal Information Institute
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your tools --> <div class="addthis_horizontal_follow_toolbox"></div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <!-- /liinavbarstuff --> </nav> </div> </div> <!-- /include header --> <!-- /.container--> </header> <div id="page" class="main-container container-fluid"> <!-- header excised - see Zen theme for original code --> <div id="main"> <div id="content" class="col-sm-8" role="main"> <ol class="breadcrumb" itemprop="breadcrumb"><li><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu">LII</a></li><li><a href="/wex">Wex</a></li></ol> <div id="main-content"> <h1 class="title" id="page-title">courts and procedure</h1> <!-- here if we decide to print the summary in the page display --> <div id="content1"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-term-revised view-id-taxonomy_term_revised view-display-id-page_1 view-dom-id-d291025745cdbfcf0f75d8ddd132ea34"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/aguilar-spinelli_test"> Aguilar-Spinelli test</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">The Aguilar-Spinelli test is a legal standard used in the United States to evaluate the validity of a search warrant based on information provided by an informant. It stems from two U.S. Supreme Court cases: Aguilar v. Texas and Spinelli v....</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/a_fortiori">a fortiori</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">A fortiori signals an argument that it is based on an even stronger argument. In Latin, the term literally means ‘from [the] stronger’. A fortiori is generally used to suggest that an argument is based on another argument so strong as to make...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/a_priori">a priori</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">A priori signals an assertion that is based on prior knowledge or intuition. In Latin, the term literally means ‘from [the] former’. An a priori determination is formed prior to investigation. </p> <p dir="ltr">For example:</p> In...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/a_priori_assumption">a priori assumption</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">An a priori assumption is an assumption that is presumed to be true without any assessment of the facts or without further proof. A priori is a Latin term that refers to a theoretical deduction made on a subject without a precise and detailed...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/a.k.a.">a.k.a.</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">A.K.A. is the abbreviation of “also known as.” It is often used to specify a party’s aliases or nicknames in a case.</p> <p>[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]</p></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/ab_initio">ab initio</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">Ab initio is a Latin term that means "from the beginning” or “from inception.” Ab initio is used to indicate that some fact existed from the start of a relevant time period. It is often used as part of the phrase “void ab initio,” meaning...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/ab_intestato">ab intestato</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">Ab intestato is a Latin term meaning "by intestacy." The term refers to laws governing the succession of property after the previous owner of the property dies without a valid will.</p> <p dir="ltr">[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/abandon">abandon</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">Abandon refers to the act of abandonment. A party can “abandon” in multiple fields of law and abandoning generally, though not always, involves voluntarily giving up a right.</p> <p dir="ltr">See abandonment for more information. </p>...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/abandonment">abandonment</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">Abandonment is a term that applies to a variety of areas of law. These areas include matrimonial law, civil procedure, and property. </p> Matrimonial Law <p dir="ltr">In matrimonial law, abandonment is a form of marital misconduct which...</span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-10 views-row-even views-row-last"> <span class="views-field views-field-title"> <h2 class="field-content"><a href="/wex/abate">abate</a></h2> </span> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <span class="field-content"><p dir="ltr">Abate is to eliminate or nullify. </p> <p dir="ltr">The term is often used in relation to the elimination of a nuisance. For example, California Civil Code § 3491 provides that one of the “remedies against a public nuisance [is] abatement.”...</span> </div> </div> </div> <h2 class="element-invisible">Pages</h2><div class="item-list"><ul class="pager"><li class="pager-current first">1</li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 2" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=1">2</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 3" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=2">3</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 4" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=3">4</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 5" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=4">5</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 6" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=5">6</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 7" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=6">7</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 8" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=7">8</a></li> <li class="pager-item"><a title="Go to page 9" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=8">9</a></li> <li class="pager-ellipsis">…</li> <li class="pager-next"><a title="Go to next page" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=1">next ›</a></li> <li class="pager-last last"><a title="Go to last page" href="/wex/category/courts_and_procedure?page=109">last »</a></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> <div id ="page-bottom"> <div class="region region-bottom"> <div id="block-liidfp-2" class="block block-liidfp first last odd"> <div class="gfs"><div id='div-gpt-ad-bottom'> <script type='text/javascript'> <!-- googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-bottom'); 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