prima facie

Definition

Evidence sufficient to establish a fact unless contradicted—basically, enough proof that things look bad for one side unless they can explain themselves. It's the legal standard for 'yeah, this definitely seems sketchy.'

Example Usage

The prosecutor established a prima facie case of fraud; now it's up to the defense to explain why those emails don't mean what they obviously appear to mean.

Origin

Latin for 'at first face' or 'on its face'

Fun Fact

In employment discrimination cases, the prima facie standard is so well-defined that lawyers have essentially turned it into a checkbox exercise.

Source: Common legal evidence terminology

Related Terms

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disclose

To reveal information that was previously hidden, concealed, or confidential, often because you're legally required to do so. In legal contexts, it's the art of sharing exactly what you must while strategically withholding everything else. Failure to disclose can range from "minor procedural issue" to "enjoy your felony charge."

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licensing

The formal process of granting official permission to do something that's otherwise restricted, usually involving fees, paperwork, and the DMV's special brand of soul-crushing bureaucracy. This authorization system lets governments and organizations control who gets to practice medicine, sell alcohol, or use copyrighted materials. It's capitalism's way of saying "you can do that... after you pay us and pass our tests."

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Amicus Curiae

Latin for "friend of the court," which is the legal system's way of letting random people butt into a case they were not invited to. Think of it as showing up to someone else's argument at a restaurant and loudly offering your opinion.

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regulation

Rules created by executive agencies or regulatory bodies that have the force of law, even though they're not passed by legislatures. It's how unelected bureaucrats get to tell you what you can and can't do, usually in excruciating detail. The federal government has approximately 47 million pages of these, give or take.

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legal

The department full of people who went to school for seven extra years to learn how to say 'no' in fifty different ways. They review every contract, question every marketing claim, and turn simple agreements into 40-page documents nobody reads. Also refers to a paper size that's longer than letter-size, because lawyers apparently need more room to write 'heretofore' and 'notwithstanding.'

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collateral estoppel

The doctrine preventing parties from re-arguing facts that have already been decided in a previous case. It's like judicial recycling—why waste time re-proving something everyone already settled?

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wtfiwwu

what the f**k is wrong with you...