ratification
- The confirmation or adoption of a previous
act done either by the party himself or by another.
ratio decidendi
- The ground or reason of the decision in a case.
real evidence - Evidence given to explain, repel, counteract,
or disprove facts -iven in evidence by the adverse party.
reasonable doubt - A person accused of a crime is entitled to
acquittal if, in the minds of the jury or judge, his or her guilt has
not been proved beyond a "reasonable doubt"; the jurors are
not entirely convinced of the person's guilt.
rebuttal evidence - Evidence given to explain, repel, contradict,
or disprove facts given in evidence by the adverse party.
recidivism - The continued, habitual or compulsive commission
of law violations after first having been convicted or prior offenses.
recognizance - The practice which enables an accused awaiting
trial to be released without posting any security other than a promise
to appear before the court at the proper time. Failure to appear in
court at the proper time is a separate crime.
redirect examination - Follow cross-examination, and is conducted
by the party who first examined the witness.
referee - A person to whom a case pending in a court is referred
by the court to take testimony, hear the parties and report thereon
to the court. An officer exercising judicial powers and an arm of the
court for a specific purpose.