Law Dictionary
	Search:

single-country fund See MUTUAL FUND.

single-criminal-intent doctrine See SINGLE-tARCENY DOCTRINE.

single-date-of-removal doctrine The principle that the deadline for removing a case from that any defendant receives a copy of the state-court pleading on which the removal is based. If a laterserved defendant seeks to remove a case to federal court more than 30 days after the day any other defendant received the pleading, the removal is untimely even if effectuated within 30 days after the removing defendant received the pleading. One theory underlying this doctrine is that all defendants must consent to remove a case to federal court, and a defendant who has waited longer than 30 days to remove does not have the capacity to consent to removal. 28 USCA § 1446(b). See NOTICE OF REMOVAL.

single-element means claim See single-means claim under PATENT CtAIM.

Single-entry bookkeeping See BOOKKEEPING.

single-entry bookkeeping A method of bookkeeping in which each transaction is recorded in a single record, such as a record of cash or credit accounts.

single-filing rule Civil-rights law. The principle that an administrative charge filed by one plaintiff in a civilrights suit (esp. a Title VII suit) will satisfy the administrative-filing requirements for all coplaintiffs who are making claims for the same act of discrimination. But this rule will not usu. protect a coplaintiffs claims if the coplaintiff also filed an administrative charge, against the same employer, in which different discriminatory acts were complained of, because the administrative agency (usu. the EEOC) and the employer are entitled to rely on the allegations someone makes in an administrative charge.

single-impulse plan See SINGLE-LARCENY DOCTRINE.

single-juror instruction An instruction stating that if any juror is not reasonably satisfied with the plaintiff"s evidence, then the jury cannot render a verdict for the plaintiff.

single-juror instruction See lURY INSTRUCTION.

single-larceny doctrine Criminal law. The principle that the taking of different items of property belonging to either the same or different owners at the same time and place constitutes one act of larceny if the theft is part of one larcenous plan, as when it involves essentially one continuous act or if control over the property is exercised Simultaneously. The thiefs intent determines the number of occurrences. Also termed single-impulse plan; single-larceny rule; singlecriminal-intent doctrine.

single-means claim A type of claim in a patent application that indicates a process, result, or function but does not describe the method of reaching that end <a method of curing cancer. Where no other method is obvious, such an assertion claims rights to all possible ways of achieving the result ways not specified in the application and even ways that have not yet been invented. Single-means claims are rejected as too broad. - Also termed single-element means claim. Cf. MEANS-PLUS-FUNCTION CLAUSE.

single-means claim See PATENT CtAIM.

single-name paper A negotiable instrument signed by only one maker and not backed by a surety.

single-paragraph form A style of writing patent claims that uses a colon after the introductory phrase and a semicolon between each element. Cf. COLONSEMICOLON FORM; OUTLINE FORM; SUBPARAGRAPH FORM.

single-premium deferred annuity An annuity for which a party pays a lump-sum premium in exchange for receiving a specified sum at a future date. The income earned on the investment is tax-free until it is withdrawn. Abbr. SPDA.

single-premium deferred annuity See ANNUITY.

single-premium insurance See single-premium life insurance under LIFE INSURANCE.

single-premium insurance See single-premium life insurance under LIFE INSURANCE.

single-premium life insurance See LIFE INSURANCE.

single-publication rule The doctrine that a plaintiff in a libel suit against a publisher has only one claim for each mass publication, not a claim for every book or issue in that run.

single-purpose project A facility that is designed, built, and used for one reason only, such as to generate electricity. This term most often refers to large, complex, expensive projects such as power plants, chemical-processing plants, mines, and toll roads. Projects of this type are often funded through project financing, in which a special-purpose entity is established to perform no function other than to develop, own, and operate the facility, the idea being to limit the number of the entitys creditors and thus provide protection for the projects lenders. See project financing under FINANCING; SPECIAL-PURPOSE ENTITY; BANKRUPTCY-REMOTE ENTITY.

single-recovery rule See ONE-SATISFACTION RULE.

single-registration rule Copyright. The U.S. Copyright Office doctrine that permits only one registration for each original work. Exceptions to the rule are routinely made for unpublished works that are later published. Generally, revised works cannot be registered a second time if the revisions are not substantial, but the creator may be allowed to file a supplemental registration.

singles penalty See MARRIAGE BONUS.

single-source requirement Under the common-law tort of false advertising, the necessity to show that the plaintiff is the only supplier of the genuine goods in question and that buyers would have bought the plaintiffs goods if the true nature of the defendants goods had been known. Ely-Norris Safe Co. v. Mosler Safe Co. 7 F.2d 603 (2d Cir. 1925) . This is a narrow exception to the common-law rule that the tort of false advertising applies only in instances of passing off, trade defamation, or trade disparagement.

singular 1. Individual; each <all and singular>. 2. Civil law. Of or relating to separate interests in property, rather than the estate as a whole <singular succession>.

singular successor See SUCCESSOR.

singular successor One who succeeds to a former owners rights in a single piece of property.

singular title See TITLE (2).

singuli in solidum (sing-gya-h in sol-a-dam). [Latin]. Each for the whole. "Where there are several co-obligants in one obligation, each bound in full performance, they are said to be liable singuli in solidum; and where each is liable only for his own proportion of the debt, they are said to be liable pro rata." John Trayner, Trayners Latin Maxims 580 (4th ed. 1894).

sinking fund See FUND (1).

sinking fund A fund consisting of regular deposits that are accumulated with interest to pay off a long-term corporate or public debt. Abbr. SF.

sinking-fund bond A bond backed by a sinking fund for bond redemption. See sinkingfund under FUND (1).

sinking-fund bond See BOND (3).

sinking-fund debenture See DEBENTURE.

sinking-fund debenture A debenture that is secured by periodic payments into a fund established to retire long-term debt.

sinking-fund depreciation method A depreciation method that accounts for the time value of money by setting up a depreciation-reserve account that earns interest, resulting in a gradual yearly increase in the depreciation deduction.

sinking-fund depreciation method See DEPRECIATION METHOD.

sinking-fund reserve See RESERVE.

sinking-fund reserve A reserve used to pay long-term debt. See sinkingfund under FUND (1).

sinking-fund tax See TAX.

Sinking-fund tax A tax to be applied to the repayment of a public loan.

SIPA (see-pa). abbr. SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION ACT.

SIR abbr. 1. SELF-INSURED RETENTION. 2. STATUTORY INVENTION REGISTRATION.

sist (sist), n. Scots law. An order staying or suspending legal proceedings. - Also termed supersedere.

sist 1. To bring into court; to summon. 2. To stay (a judicial proceeding, etc.), esp. by court order. 3. To intervene in legal proceedings as an interested third party, e.g., a trustee.

sister (bef. l2c) A female who has one parent or both parents in common with another person.

sister corporation See CORPORATION.

sister corporation One of two or more corporations controlled by the same, or substantially the same, owners. Also termed brother-sister corporation.

sister-german A full sister; the daughter of both of ones parents. See GERMAN.

sister-german See SISTER.

sisterhood See GIFTING CLUB.

sister-in-law The sister of ones spouse or the wife of ones brother. The wife of ones spouses brother is also sometimes considered a sister-in-law. PI. sistersin-law.

sistership exclusion A provision in some commercial general liability policies, excluding coverage for damages arising from the withdrawal, inspection, repair, replacement, or loss of use of the insured's product or work, to the extent that the product or work is withdrawn or recalled from the market because of a known or suspected defect or deficiency. - Also termed recall exclusion.

sistership exclusion See EXCLUSION (3).

sistren Sisters, esp. those considered spiritual kin (such as female colleagues on a court). Cf. BRETHREN.

sit 1. (Of a judge) to occupy a judicial seat <Judge wilson sits on the trial court for the Eastern District of Arkansas>. 2. (Of a judge) to hold court or perform offIcial functions <is the judge sitting this week?>. 3. (Of a court or legislative body) to hold proceedings <the U.S. Supreme Court sits from October to June>.

sit-and-squirm test A judicial doctrine, used esp. by administrative-law judges in disability-claim cases, whereby a court subjectively determines a set of traits that it expects the claimant to exhibit and denies relief if the claimant fails to exhibit those traits. The doctrine is adhered to only in some federal circuits and has been expressly rejected in others. Generally, an administrative-law judge may observe a claimants demeanor in evaluating the credibility of the complaint. Yet it is error for the judge to base a judgment solely on personal observation and not on the record as a whole.

sit-down strike See STRIKE.

sit-down strike A strike in which employees occupy the workplace but do not work. See SIT-IN.

site 1. A place or location; esp., a piece of property set aside for a specific use. 2. SCITE.

site assessment See transactional audit under AUDIT.

site license See LICENSE.

site plan An illustrated proposal for the development or use of a particular piece of real property. The illustration is usu. a map or sketch of how the property will appear if the proposal is accepted. Some zoning ordinances require a developer to present a site plan to the city council and to receive council approval before certain projects may be completed.

sit-in An organized, passive demonstration in which participants usu. sit (or lie) down and refuse to leave a place as a means of protesting against policies or activities. Sit-ins originated as a communal act of protesting racial segregation. People who were discriminated against would sit in places that were prohibited to them and refuse to leave. Later the term came to reter to any group protest, as with anti-Vietnam War protests and some labor strikes. Cf. sit-down strike under STRIKE.

sitio ganado mayor (sit-yoh gah-nah-doh mi-yor). Spanish & Mexican law. A square unit ofland with each side measuring 5,000 varas (about 4,583 yards). lhis term is found in old land grants in states that were formerly Spanish provinces or governed by Mexico. See VARA. Spanish & Mexican law. A unit ofland shaped like a square with each side measuring 5,000 varas (about 4,583 yards). This term is sometimes found in old land grants in states that were formerly Spanish colonies or governed by Mexico. See VARA.

sitting A court session; esp., a session of an appellate court. See SESSION (1).

situation 1. Condition; position in reference to circumstances <dangerous situation>. 2. The place where someone or something is occupied; a location <situation near the border>.

situation of danger See DANGEROUS SITUATION.

situational offender See OFFENDER.

situational offender A first-time offender who is unlikely to commit future crimes.

situs (si-tas). [Latin]. The location or position (of something) for legal purposes, as in lex situs, the law of the place where the thing in issue is situated. See Loces.

Six Clerks A collective name for the clerks of the English Court of Chancery who filed pleadings and other papers. The office was abolished in 1842, and its duties transferred to the Clerk of Enrollments in Chancery and to the Clerks of Records and Writs.

Sixteenth Amendment The constitutional amendment, ratified in 1913, allowing Congress to tax income.

Sixth Amendment The constitutional amendment, ratified with the Bill of Rights in 1791, guaranteeing in criminal cases the right to a speedy and public trial by jury, the right to be informed of the nature of the accusation, the right to confront witnesses, the right to counsel, and the right to compulsory process for obtaining favorable witnesses.

sixth-sentence remand See REMAl\D.

sixth-sentence remand In a claim for social-security benefits, a court s decision that the claim should be reheard by the Commissioner of Social Security because new evidence is available, which was not available before, that might change the outcome of the proceeding. This type of remand is called a sixth-sentence remand because it is based on the sixth sentence of 42 USCA § 405(g): "The court may, on motion of the Commissioner of Social Security made for good cause shown before the Commissioner files the Commissioner s answer, remand the case to the Commissioner of Social Security for further action by the Commissioner of Social Security, and it may at any time order additional evidence to be taken before the Commissioner of Social Security, but only upon a showing that there is new evidence which is material and that there is good cause for the failure to incorporate such evidence into the record in a prior proceeding ...." See Melkonyan v. Sullivan, 501 U.S. 89, 111 S.Ct. 2157 (1991).

sixty derks. See SWORN CI.ERKS IN CHANCERY.

sixty-day notice Labor law. Under the Taft-Hartley Act, the 60-day advance notice required for either party to a collective-bargaining agreement to reopen or terminate the contract. _ During this period, strikes and lockouts are prohibited. 29 USCA § lS8(d)(l).

SJI See STATE JUSTICE INSTITUTE.

skeletallegislation See LEGISLATION.

skeleton bill See BILL (7).

skeleton bill A bill drawn, indorsed, or accepted in blank. 8. A piece of paper money <a $10 bill>. 9. A promissory note <the debtor Signed a bill for $ 7,000>.

skeleton bill of exceptions See BILL (2).

skeleton bill oj exceptions A bill of exceptions that, in addition to the formal parts, contains only the court's directions to the clerk to copy or insert necessary doc-uments into the record for appellate review, but does not contain the actual evidence or trial-court rulings. For example, the statement "the clerk will insert the official transcript here" is typically a skeleton bill.

skeleton legislation See skeletal legislation under LEGISLATION.

skill Special ability and proficiency; esp.,the practical and familiar knowledge of the principles and processes of an art, science, or trade, combined with the ability to apply them appropriately, with readiness and dexterity. Skill is generally considered more than mere competence. It is a special competence that is not a part of the reasonable persons ordinary equipment, but that results from aptitude cultivated through special training and experience.

skilled artisan See ARTISAN.

skilled witness See expert witness under WITNESS.

skilled work See WORK (1).

skip bail See JUMP BAIL.

skip person A beneficiary who is more than one generation removed from the transferor and to whom assets are conveyed in a generation-skipping transfer. IRC (26 lJSCA) § 2613(a). See GENERATIONSKIPPING TRANSFER. "Since a skip person is necessary to trigger a generationskipping tax, it is important to have a precise definition of skip person: In most cases, it suffices to say that a skip person is a person who is two or more generations younger than the transferor." John K. McNulty, Federal Estate and Gift Taxation in a Nutshell 63 (5th ed. 1994).

skippeson See ESKIPPESON.

skiptracing agency A service that locates persons (such as delinquent debtors, missing heirs, witnesses, stockholders, bondholders, etc.) or missing assets (such as bank accounts).

skyjack Slang. To hijack an aircraft. See HIJACK (1). - skyjacking, n.

SL/C See standby letter of credit under LETTER OF CREDIT.

slack tax See pickup tax under TAX.

slack tax See pickup tax.

slamming The practice by which a long-distance telephone company wrongfully appropriates a customers service from another company, usu. through an unauthorized transfer or by way of a transfer authorization that is disguised as something else, such as a form to sign up for a free vacation.