Posts by admin

contempt,n.1. The act or state of despising; the condition of being despised. 2. Conduct that defies the authority or dignity of a court or legislature. • Because such conduct interferes with the administration of justice, it is punishable, usu. by fine or imprisonment. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(e); Fed. R. Crim. P. 42; 18 USCA…

contemporary community standards.The gauge by which a fact-finder decides whether material is obscene, judging by its patent offensiveness and its prurience in the locale at a given time. See OBSCENITY(1). [Cases: Obscenity  1. C.J.S. Obscenity §§ 1–8.] “Both pruriency and patent offensiveness are determined by ‘contemporary community standards.’ But what is the relevant community? In…

contemporaneous-objection rule.The doctrine that a timely and proper objection to the admission of evidence must be made at trial for the issue of admissibility to be considered on appeal. • An objection is timely if it is made as soon as practicable and is proper if made formally on the record. These requirements afford the…

contemporaneous-construction doctrine.The rule that the initial interpretation of an ambiguous statute by an administrative agency or lower court is entitled to great deference if the interpretation has been used over a long period. [Cases: Statutes  218, 219(2). C.J.S. Statutes §§ 342, 344.] [Blacks Law 8th]

contemporaneous construction.See CONSTRUCTION. [Blacks Law 8th]

contemporaneous and practical interpretation.See contemporaneous construction under CONSTRUCTION. [Blacks Law 8th]

contemporanea expositio (k<<schwa>>n-tem-p<<schwa>>-ray-nee-<<schwa>> eks-p<< schwa>>-zish-ee-oh). [Latin “contemporaneous exposition”] The doctrine that the best meaning of a statute or document is the one given by those who enacted it or signed it, and that the meaning publicly given by contemporary or long professional usage is presumed to be the correct one, even if the language may…

contemplation of insolvency.See CONTEMPLATION OF BANKRUPTCY. [Blacks Law 8th]

contemplation of death.The thought of dying, not necessarily from imminent danger, but as the compelling reason to transfer property to another. See gift causa mortis under GIFT. [Cases: Gifts  59; Internal Revenue  4159(2). C.J.S. Internal Revenue § 514.] [Blacks Law 8th]

contemplation of bankruptcy.The thought of declaring bankruptcy because of the inability to continue current financial operations, often coupled with action designed to thwart the distribution of assets in a bankruptcy proceeding. — Also termed contemplation of insolvency. [Blacks Law 8th]