Your Free Online Legal Dictionary • Featuring Black’s Law Dictionary, 2nd Ed.

Category: D

DISSENTING OPINION

The opinion in which a judge announces his dissent from the conclusions held by the majority of the court, and expounds his own views.

DISTRESS

The taking a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrong-doer intothe custody of the party injured, to procure a satisfaction for a wrong committed; as fornou-paymeut of rent, or injury

DISTRINGAS

In English practice. A writ directed to the sheriff of the county inwhich a defendant resides, or has any goods or chattels, commanding him to distrainupon the goods and chattels of the

DIVERT

To turn aside; to turn out of the way; to alter the course of things. Usuallyapplied to water-courses. Ang. Water- Courses,

DIVORCE A VINCULO MATRIMONII

A divorce from the bond of marriage. A total divorce ofhusband and wife, dissolving the marriage tie, and releasing the parties wholly fromtheir matrimonial obligations. 1 Bl. Comm. 440; 2 Steph. Comm.

DOCTRINE

A rule, principle, theory, or tenet of the law; as, the doctrine of merger, the doctrine of relation, etc. Doctrinal interpretation. See INTERPRETATION.

DOMICELLUS

In old English law. A better sort of servant in monasteries; also an appellation of a king’s bastard.

DOMINIO

Sp. In Spanish law. A term corresponding to and derived from the Latindominium, (q. v.) Dominio alto, eminent domain; dominio dirccto, immediateownership; dominio utile, beneficial ownership. Hart v. Burnett, 15 Cal. 556.

DOOM

In Scotcu law. Judicial sentence, or judgment. The decision or sentence of acourt orally pronounced by an ollicer called a “dempster” or “deemster.” Iu modernusage, criminal sentences still end with the words

DOTE ASSIGN AND A

A writ which lay for a widow, when it was judicially ascertainedthat a tenant to the king was seised of tenements in fee or fee-tail at the dayof his death, and that

DOUBLE VALUE

In English law. This is a penalty on a tenant holding over after his landlord’s notice to quit. By 4 Geo. II. c. 28. $1. it is enacted that if any tenant

DOWER DE LA PLUIS BELLE

L. Fr. Dower of the fairest [part.] A species of ancientEnglish dower, incident to the old tenures, where there was a guardian in chivalry, andthe wife occupied lands of the heir as

DRAM

In common parlance, this term means a drink of some substance containingalcohol, something which can produce intoxication. Lacy v. State, 32 Tex. 228.

DRINCLEAN

Sax. A contribution of tenants, in the time of the Saxons, towards apotation, or ale, provided to entertain the lord, or his steward. Cowell. See CEB- VISARII.

DROITS CIVILS

This phrase in French law denotes private rights, the exercise of which is independent of the status(quality) of citizen. Foreigners enjoy them; and the extent of that enjoyment isdetermined by the principle

DRUG

The general name of substances used in medicine; any substance, vegetable,animal, or mineral, used in the composition or preparation of medicines. The term isalso applied to materials used in dyeing and in

DUCAT

A foreign coin, varying In value in different countries, but usually worth about $2.26 of our money.

DUES

Certain payments; rates or taxes. See Ward v. Joslin, 105 Fed. 227, 44 C. C.A. 456; Warwick v. Supreme Conclave, 107 Ga. 115, 32 S. E. 951; Whitman v. NationalBank, 176 U.

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