A writ commanding that a person be brought before a judge. Most commonly, a writ of habeas corpus is a legal document that forces law enforcement authorities to produce a prisoner they are holding and to legally justify his or her confinement.

A person who is repeatedly convicted and sentenced for crimes over a period of time, even after serving sentences of incarceration, thereby demonstrating a propensity towards criminal conduct. Reformation techniques fail to alter the behavior of the habitual offender. Many countries now have special laws that requiring long-term incarceration, without parole, of habitual offenders as a means of protecting society against an individual who appears unable to comply with the law.

Unsolicited words or conduct tending to annoy, alarm or abuse another person. Any conduct or comment that is known or ought to be known to be unwelcome." Name-calling ("stupid", "retard" or "dummy") is a common form of harassment. (See also sexual harassment.)

An error committed during a trial that was corrected or was not serious enough to affect the outcome of a trial and therefore was not sufficiently harmful (prejudicial) to be reversed on appeal.

A type of managed health care system that contracts with medical facilities, physicians, employers, and sometimes individuals to provide medical care to a group of people known as ´members.´ Generally, members of HMOs don´t have any significant ´out-of-pocket´ expenses because the medical care is most often paid for by an employer at a fixed price per patient.

Legal proceedings in which a judge discusses the issues in a case or receives information in order to make a decision about a dispute.

Evidence based on what the witness has heard someone else say, rather than what the witness has personally experienced or observed.

One side of the body affected. Arm and leg may be equally or unequally affected.

Occurs when an artery in the brain tears or bursts, causing blood to spill out.

A medical agent indicated for the treatment of certain breast cancer patients. Herceptin? injection can cause fatal pulmonary effects in patients with preexisting lung conditions.

An accident caused by someone who does not stop to assist or provide the required and necessary information.

Generally, a type of medical malpractice that can be defined as the carelessness of an HMO, acting through its physicians, in making treatment decisions for a member that results in injury to that member.

A will written entirely in the testator's handwriting and not witnessed. Some states recognize holograph wills, other do not. Still other states will recognize a will as "holograph" if only part of it is in the testator's handwriting (the other part being type-written).

Policy that insures individuals against any, some, or all of the risks of loss to personal dwellings or the contents of personal dwellings or the personal liability pertaining to personal dwellings.

All occasions and acts whereby one human being, by act or omission, takes away the life of another. Murder and manslaughter are different kinds of homicides and have varying degrees depending on circumstances and motives. Executing a death-row inmate is another form of homicide, but one which is excusable or justifiable in the eyes of the law. Another excusable homicide is the killing of an armed suspect by a law officer, when a suspect who draws a weapon or shoots at that officer.

Occurs when a patient suffers damages as a result of a medical professional´s failure to follow the standards of care set forth for his/her medical field. Hospital malpractice can be the result of an intentional act or negligence which causes injury to a patient. Hospital malpractice is often the result of a heath care provider failing to prevent injury or illness to a patient as a similarly situated medical professional would have done.

A witness whose testimony is not favorable to the party who calls him or her as a witness. A hostile witness may be asked leading questions and may be cross-examined by the party who calls him or her to the stand.

A jury whose members cannot agree upon a verdict.

In order to establish a right to workers´ compensation benefits, there must be an employment relationship during which an accident or an injury arises in the course of employment and is related thereto, and includes aggravation, reactivation, acceleration or death resulting from the injury.

A special right that married persons have to keep communications between themselves secret and even inaccessible to a court of law. This privilege may vary from state to state, but it has always been held to be lifted when one spouse commits a crime against the other. See also client-attorney privilege.

Increased postural tone; ´stiffness´ of muscles.

Reduced postural tone; ´floppiness´ of muscles.