Prigg v. Pennsylvania

Glossary

• a fortiori Latin for “with even stronger reason”
• act of the 12th of February 1793 the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
• Blackstone Sir William Blackstone, a preeminent jurist in eighteenth-century England and the author of Commentaries on the Laws of England
• comity legal reciprocity, or the principle that a jurisdiction will recognize the validity and effect of another jurisdiction's executive, legislative, and judicial acts
• Confederation the United States under the Articles of Confederation
• Court of Oyer and Terminer in the United States, the name given to courts of criminal jurisdiction in some states
• estopped legally prevented
• in rem Latin for “in a thing” and referring to a legal action in connection with a specific piece of property
• in transitu Latin for “in transit”
• jeopards jeopardizes
• lex fori Latin for “law of the forum,” referring to the law of the jurisdiction where a case is pending
• Lord Dyer Sir James Dyer, a preeminent jurist in sixteenth-century England
• Madison James Madison, one of the authors of the Federalist Papers and the fourth U.S. president
• prima facie Latin for “at first sight,” describing a fact that is presumed to be true unless disproved by contrary evidence
• pro forma Latin for “as a matter of form”
• pro tanto Latin for “only to that extent”; partially
• proprio vigore Latin for “by its own force or vigor”
• recaption self-help in seizing a fugitive slave
• take further cognizance hear, consider
• writ of error a judicial writ from an appellate court ordering the court of record to produce the records of trial; an appeal