Law Dictionary Definitions

fall of the hammer.An auctioneer’s closing of bidding <the bureau will be sold at the fall of the hammer>. • Traditionally, an auctioneer bangs a hammer, gavel, or other object when bidding is closed. In some circumstances, such as online auctions, a verbal announcement that bidding is closed substitutes.[Blacks Law 8th]

fallo (fahl-yoh), n. Spanish law. The mandate in a court’s judgment; the dispositive sentence in a judicial pronouncement.[Blacks Law 8th]

faldworth (fahld-w<<schwa>>rth), n. Hist. A person who resides in a rural community where everyone above a certain age is responsible for the good conduct of all other members of the community and who has reached that age of responsibility. • This was part of the frankpledge system. See DECENARY; FRANKPLEDGE.[Blacks Law 8th]

faldfee (fahld-fee), n. Hist. See FALDAGE(2).[Blacks Law 8th]

faldage (fahl-dij), n. Hist.1.A landowner’s right to require tenants to graze their sheep in designated temporary folds so that the manure will fertilize the field. — Also termed foldage; fold soc. 2. A sum of money paid to the landowner by a sheep-owning tenant in lieu of keeping the animals in the landowner’s temporary fold.…

Falconer error. A trial court’s failure to instruct the jury that a guilty finding on a manslaughter charge requires acquittal on a murder charge.Falconer v. Lane, 905 F.2d 1129 (7th Cir. 1990).[Blacks Law 8th]

Falcidian portion.Roman law. The one-fourth part of an estate that one or more instituted heirs are entitled to retain. La. Civ. Code art. 1494. — Also termed quarta Falcidiana. See forced heir under HEIR; LEGITIME. Cf. QUARTA TREBELLIANICA .[Blacks Law 8th]

Falcidian law (fal-sid-ee-<<schwa>>n).Roman law. A law prescribing that one could give no more than three-fourths of one’s property in legacies and that the heirs should receive at least one-fourth (the Falcidian portion). • If the testator violated this law, the heir had the right to deduct proportionally from each legatee as necessary. The law, proposed…

fake,n. Something that is not what it purports to be. See FORGERY (2); IMPOSTOR. fake,vb. To make or construct falsely. See COUNTERFEIT.[Blacks Law 8th]

faith-healing exemption.Family law. In a child-abuse or child-neglect statute, a provision that a parent who provides a child with faith healing (in place of standard medical treatment) will not, for that reason alone, be charged with abuse or neglect. • Nearly all states have enacted some form of faith-healing exemption. But the statutes differ greatly.…