Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co., 272 U.S. 365 (1926), is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court held that a zoning ordinance can be a valid exercise of a state's police powers. The Supreme Court raised the bar for declaring a...
THE LEGAL PROCESS
vitiate
Vitiate is the act of impairing or voiding the effect of something else. Thus, a statute that vitiates a contract has the effect of voiding at least one of the contract's provisions.
[Last updated in July of 2024 by the Wex...
void
Void means having no legal effect from the start. Thus, a void contract is invalid from the start of its purported closing. Note: having no legal effect, it does not change the legal relationship between the parties involved.
...void for vagueness
In criminal law, void for vagueness is a declaration that a law is invalid because it is not sufficiently clear. Laws are usually found void for vagueness if, after setting some requirement or punishment, the law does not specify what is...
voir dire
French for to speak the truth, voir dire is the process through which potential jurors are questioned by either the judge or a lawyer to determine their suitability for jury service. It is used to excuse prospective jurors deemed incapable of...
voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of another person without deliberation, premeditation, or malice aforethought while in the heat of passion or in response to adequate provocation.
See also: crime of passion.
...wage attachment
Wage attachment, also known as wage garnishment, is a court order by which the court attaches debtors' wages to help pay their creditors by directly transferring the wages to the creditors. Although a wage attachment order can be obtained...
waive
To waive is to voluntarily relinquish or give up a right, claim, or privilege. It can apply to a variety of legal situations, such as knowingly giving up a legal right like a speedy trial or a jury trial, forgoing certain rights in a...
waiver
A waiver is the intentional or voluntary relinquishment or surrender of a recognized right or privilege. In legal contexts, a waiver is often documented in writing, but it can also be implied through actions. By waiving a right, an individual...
wanton
Wanton is an adjective used to describe behavior that is either particularly inhuman, such as cruel and wanton behavior, or behavior that is lewd in a sexual context. It generally refers to actions that are deliberate and unprovoked. In legal...