Law Dictionary Definitions

battery,n.1.Criminal law. The use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact. — Also termed criminal battery. [Cases: Assault and Battery  48. C.J.S. Assault and Battery §§ 2–3, 62, 64–66, 81.] “Criminal battery, sometimes defined briefly as the unlawful application of force to the person of another, may be divided into its three…

battered-woman syndrome.Family law. A constellation of medical and psychological conditions of a woman who has suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at the hands of a spouse or lover. • Battered-woman syndrome was first described in the early 1970s by Dr. Lenore Walker. It consists of a three-stage cycle of violence: (1) the tension-building stage,…

battered woman.Family law. A woman who is the victim of domestic violence; a woman who has suffered physical, emotional, or sexual abuse at the hands of a spouse or partner. See domestic violence under VIOLENCE.[Blacks Law 8th]

battered-wife syndrome.See BATTERED-WOMAN SYNDROME.[Blacks Law 8th]

battered-spouse syndrome.See BATTERED-WOMAN SYNDROME. [Blacks Law 8th]

battered-person syndrome.See BATTERED-WOMAN SYNDROME. [Blacks Law 8th]

battered-child syndrome.Family law. A constellation of medical and psychological conditions of a child who has suffered continuing injuries that could not be accidental and are therefore presumed to have been inflicted by someone close to the child, usu. a caregiver. • Diagnosis typically results from a radiological finding of distinct bone trauma and persistent tissue…

battered child.See CHILD.[Blacks Law 8th]

Batson challenge.See CHALLENGE(1). [Blacks Law 8th]

bathtub conspiracy.See intra-enterprise conspiracy under CONSPIRACY.[Blacks Law 8th]