Coram Nobis

Definition

A request to a court to reconsider a judgment after conviction, typically on the grounds of error not addressed in the original trial. It's basically asking the court to admit it made a mistake.

Example Usage

The defendant filed a coram nobis petition claiming ineffective assistance of counsel.

Origin

Latin legal phrase meaning 'before us'

Fun Fact

This remedy has largely been replaced by modern appeals procedures and habeas corpus petitions

Source: Criminal procedure terminology

Related Terms

Advanced

Malefeasance

The doing of a wrongful and injurious act, especially by a public official in their official capacity—basically, 'you did something you shouldn't have done at all.'

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Intermediate

annul

To legally declare something void, as if it never existed—the official "undo" button for marriages, contracts, or governmental acts. It's the nuclear option when canceling isn't quite dramatic enough, often requiring a court or authority to wave their magic gavel. Different from divorce in that annulment pretends you never made that regrettable decision in the first place.

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allocution

A defendant's opportunity to speak on their own behalf before sentencing, typically to beg for mercy or explain why they're not as terrible as the evidence suggests. Judges listen with varying degrees of sympathy.

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solely

Legal jargon for 'only this thing and nothing else, ever, and we're making sure the court understands we really mean it.'

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Intermediate

reintegration

The bureaucratic rebrand of 'getting your life back together after society kicked you out'—a legal and social term for rejoining the general population after serving time, exile, or other institutional punishment. Sounds hopeful; often involves learning how to use new phone technology.

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preponderance of the evidence

The standard of proof in most civil cases, requiring only that something is more likely true than not—essentially 50.01% certainty. It's the legal system admitting that perfect knowledge is impossible, so probable knowledge will suffice.

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