Mistrial

Definition

A trial declared invalid, usually due to procedural errors or jury misconduct. It's basically 'oops, let's start over.'

Example Usage

The judge declared a mistrial when it was discovered that a juror had conducted outside research about the case.

Origin

English legal terminology combining 'mis-' (wrongly/badly) with 'trial'

Fun Fact

Declaring a mistrial can result in a retrial, meaning a defendant doesn't get the 'double jeopardy' protection against being tried twice for the same crime.

Source: Trial procedure, criminal procedure standards

Related Terms

Beginner

duty

A moral or legal obligation to act (or not act) in a certain way, plus the taxes governments slap on imports and exports. In corporate settings, it's being 'on duty' or responsible for tasks. The term encompasses everything from your fiduciary duty to shareholders to the customs duty on that suspiciously cheap designer handbag.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

judgment notwithstanding the verdict

A judge's decision to overrule a jury's verdict when no reasonable jury could have reached that conclusion. It's the judicial equivalent of 'I know what you said, but you're wrong,' and it's as rare as it sounds.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

Tribunal

A special court that sounds way more dramatic than it usually is, like it should involve gladiators but instead involves bureaucrats with reading glasses. The legal system's way of making a committee sound important.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

repeals

The act of officially revoking, canceling, or invalidating a law, regulation, or legal provision, essentially legislative Ctrl+Z. When Congress repeals legislation, they're admitting that previous version didn't quite work out. Can also mean recalling someone from exile, though that usage is about as current as the practice itself.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

case

An actual situation, event, or piece of legal work requiring professional attention. In the courtroom, a case is the legal dispute or criminal matter under judicial examination—the whole drama with lawyers, evidence, and hopefully a satisfying conclusion.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

privileged

Having special rights, immunities, or advantages that others don't enjoy, often by accident of birth or circumstance. In legal contexts, it refers to confidential communications protected from disclosure, like attorney-client conversations. Also describes that one coworker who somehow gets away with arriving late every day while the rest of us punch the clock.

⚖️ Legal

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