Today, we also learned the nuances of the legal system, including some Latin terms, legal definitions, and some broad terms. Here is a list:
Res judicata (claim preclusion): A Latin term for ‘a matter decided,’ which means that a criminal or civil court case can not have an appeal because that specific type of case has already been dealt with by the courts. Today, Professor Markham stated that over 700 sex offenders have appealed to the courts about the use of satellites to monitor them. A judge will not want to hear all the cases, and will generally give a ruling that gives a ruling to all of them.
Recidivist: Someone that has committed more than one crime. In North Carolina, along with many other states, the more crimes you commit, the longer the prison sentence is. For simplicity, North Carolina has a table that lists the punishment for each level of crime (low-level misdemeanors to 1st-degree murder) and the severity of the sentence for each crime you commit.
Legislative Compromise: A compromise between members of Congress to pass legislation. For example, Senate Bill 300’s main focus is to reform the policing system in North Carolina and make people feel safer. However, the bill also explains that rioters should get harsher punishments, which has nothing to do with the overall focus of the bill. Professor Markham explained that members of the legislator will put random things into a bill to make it more acceptable for other members of Congress.
-Travis