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PREJUDICE Definition & Legal Meaning

Definition & Citations:

A forejudgment; bias; preconceived opinion. A leaning towards one side of a cause for some reason other than a conviction of its justice. Willis v. State, 12 Ga. 449; Hungerford v. Cushing, 2 Wis. 405; SUite v. Anderson, 14 Mont. 541, 37 Pac. 1 ; Ilinkle v. State, 94 Ga. 595, 21 S. E. 595; Keen v. Brown, 40 Fla. 4S7, 35 South. 401. The word “prejudice” seemed to imply nearly the same thing as “opinion,” a prejudgment of the case, aud not necessarily an enmiiy or ill will against either party. Com. v. Webster, 5 Cush. (Mass.) 297, 52 Am. Dec. 711. “Prejudice” also means injury, loss, or damnification. Thus, where an offer or ad- mission is made “without prejudice,” or a motion is denied or a bill in equity dismissed “without prejudice,” it is meant as a declaration that no rights or privileges of the party concerned are to be considered as thereby waived or lost, except in so far as may be expressly conceded or decided.

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