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Glossary

infraction A violation of law not punishable by imprisonment. Minor traffic offenses generally are considered infractions.	inheritance tax A state tax on property that an heir or beneficiary under a will receives from a deceased persons estate. The heir or beneficiary pays this tax.

instructions Judges explanation to the jury before it begins deliberations of the questions it must answer. Judges instructions include information about law governing the case.	integrated bar The organized state bar association to which every lawyer in a state must belong in order to be permitted to practice in that state.

interlocutory Provisional; temporary; not final. Refers to orders and decrees of a court.	interrogatories Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.

intervention A proceeding in a lawsuit in which a third person is permitted by the court to make him or herself a party.	inter vivos gift A gift made during the givers life.

intestate succession The process by which the property of a person who has died without a will passes on to others according to the states descent and distribution statutes.	irrevocable trust A trust that once set up, the grantor may not revoke.

issue The disputed point in a disagreement between parties in a lawsuit.	immunity A grant by the court against prosecution in return for providing criminal evidence against another person or party.

impeachment of witness An attack on the credibility of a witness by the testimony of other witnesses or other evidence.	inadmissible Evidence that cannot under the rules of evidence be admitted in court.

in camera In chambers or in private. A hearing or inspection of documents that takes place outside the presence of the jury and public.	independent executor A special kind of executor, permitted by the laws of certain states, who performs the duties of an executor without intervention by the court.

indeterminate sentence A sentence of imprisonment to a specified minimum and maximum period of time, specifically authorized by statute, subject to termination by a parole board or other authorized agency after the prisoner has served the minimum term.	indictment The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.

indigent Meeting certain standards of poverty, thereby qualifying a criminal defendant for representation by a public defender.	inferior court Courts of limited jurisdiction.

in forma pauperis In the manner of a pauper. Permission given to a person to sue without payment of court fees on claim of indigence or poverty.	information A formal accusation by a prosecutor that the defendant committed a crime. An information is an alternative to an indictment as a means of charging a criminal.

intangible assets Nonphysical items such as stock certificates, bonds, bank accounts, and pension benefits that have value and must be taken into account in estate planning.	implied powers Powers that arise as a result of an interpretation of the express powers by the courts.

implied warranty of fitness of purpose The law's assumption that goods are fit for their intended purpose.	implied warranty of merchantability The law's assumption that goods sold by a merchant-seller are fit to be sold and are adequate for the ordinary purposes for which such goods are sold.

impossibility of performance When unforeseen circumstances make it impossible to fulfill the terms of contract. In the cases, the contract is considered void.	implied authority The authority of an agent to perform acts that are necessary or customary to carry out expressly authorized duties.

implied contract A contract that does not explicitly state the agreement of the parties, but in which the terms of the agreement canbe inferred from the actions or conduct of the parties, the customs of the trade, or from the conditions or circumstances.	implied warranty A guarantee suggested or inferred from known facts and circumstances.

incidental beneficiary Someone who will benefit as an indirect consequence of a contract, although that was not the intent of the contract parties.	incompetent Being unable to make binding contracts due to having an unsound mind and being unable to safeguard one's own interests and affairs.

independent contractor One who contracts to do a job and who retains complete control over the methods employed to obtain completion.	indorsement When the holder of commercial paper signs his or her name, with or without words, on the back of an instrument to transfer ownership to another.

indorsee The person to whom a negotiable instrument is transferred.	indorser The person who signs his or her name to a negotiable instrument.

injunction A restraining order that in some states is permanent.	interest The charge for using borrowed money, generally expressed as an annual percentage of the amount of the loan (principal).

intestate Having died without leaving a valid will.	intentional concealment Deliberately hiding materials facts.