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plea definition - legal

n

  1. An accused personÂ’s formal reply to a charge in a criminal court, the choices being guilty, not guilty, and nolo contendere (no contest).
  2. An answer in an equity case telling why a suit should be barred, delayed, or dismissed.
  3. A pleading.
affirmative
plea. One intent on establishing a fact not in the bill that, if established, negates the merit of the complainantÂ’s case.
dilatory
plea. One that contests the grounds of a plaintiffÂ’s case, other than its merits, such as wrong jurisdiction, wrong defendant, or other defects in the procedure.
double
plea. One having two or more distinct and independent grounds of complaint for the same issue and requiring each one of those grounds to be answered separately.
peremptory
plea. One directly responding to the particulars of the plaintiffÂ’s charges.
plea in abatement
A dilatory plea objecting to the time, method or place of the plaintiffÂ’s assertion, but not addressing any of that assertionÂ’s underlying merits.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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