D Legal definitions for terms and concepts beginning with D Double Ticketing A sales strategy in which a merchant puts two price tags on a product to lure the consumer to the till where he/she is asked to pay the higher of the two ticketed prices. Dower A widow's life estate interest in her husband's real property if he died intestate. Doyle Rule (USA) A rule of criminal process that the use for impeachment purposes of a defendant's silence, at the time of arrest and after receiving Miranda warnings, violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Dragnet Clause A clause in a credit agreement which purports to secure future liabilities. Drawee The bank which has the drawer's checking account from which a check is to be paid. Drawer The person who signs a check to his or her bank ordering the latter to pay the face amount of the check to the payee. Drawn and Quartered A horrific and barbaric punishment imposed upon traitors pursuant to ancient common law: partial hanging, disembowelling and cutting of body into quarters. Droit d'aubaine French: an ancient right to keep the property of any deceased foreign subject. Droit de naufrage French: an ancient right of any land-owner to claim the wreck and men (as slaves) of any ship which wrecked upon waters adjacent to his land. DSM-IV The American Psychiatric Association mental disorder manual and classification. Dual Criminality A typical requirement of extradition treaties: that the conduct alleged constitute a crime in both the demanding and the delivering state. Dual Sovereignty Doctrine A maxim of law which allows the double prosecution of a person by more than one state for the same crime, where both states have jurisdiction for the prosecution, and notwithstanding the double jeopardy rule. Duces Tecum Latin: bring with you. Ducking Stool A contraption of medieval English justice comprised of a chair in which a convict was affixed and then immersed repeatedly into a body of water. Due Care The degree of care which a person of ordinary prudence would exercise under the same or similar circumstances. Due Diligence Reasonable verifications and precautions taken to identify or prevent foreseeable risks. Due Process Fundamental procedural legal safeguards of which every citizen has an absolute right when a state or court purports to take a decision that could affect any right of that citizen. Dum Casta Latin: for so long as she remains chaste. Dummy Corporation A corporation created solely for the purpose of insulating an individual or another corporation from liability in either contract or import. Dum Sola Latin: for so long as she remains unmarried. Dum Sola et Casta Vixerit Latin: for so long as she remains single (unmarried) and chaste. Dum Vidua Latin: for so long as she remains a widow. Dunnage Materials used by ships to secure and protect cargo. Duplex A house which has separate but complete facilities to accommodate two families as either adjacent units or one on top of the other. Duress Where a person is prevented from acting (or not acting) according to their free will, by threats or force of another, it is said to be 'under duress'. Duty A legal obligation for a person to conduct himself to a certain standard failing which he could be liable for negligence if damages occur in the result. Duty of Care An obligation to conform to a certain standard of conduct for the protection of another against an unreasonable risk of harm. Duty of Fair Representation A union's duty to be free of arbitrary judgment or discrimination or bad faith towards one it its members. Dwelling A place to live in. Dying Declaration Exception to the hearsay rule: a statement of fact made by a dying victim relating to the cause and circumstances of a homicide. Page1 (Da - De) | Page2 (De - Di) | Page3 (Di - Do) | Page4 (Do - Dy) Find you are constantly looking up definitions? Try our search provider (works in most modern browsers) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Legal Dictionary, or if you have legal term suggestion, we'd love to hear from you!