abandon

v. to intentionally and permanently give up, surrender, leave, desert or relinquish all interest or ownership in
property, a home or other premises, a right of way, and even a spouse, family, or children. The word is often used in
situations to determine whether a tenant has left his/her apartment and the property inside and does not intend to
come back. Thus, a landlord can take over an apparently abandoned residence, but must store anything a tenant
leaves behind and give notice to the tenant before selling the possessions which are left. To abandon children can
mean to have no contact and give no support for a year or more.

See also: abandoned property abandonment

abstention doctrine
n. when the Supreme Court refuses to exercise its federal constitutional jurisdiction or declines to
consider a question of state law arising from a case being appealed from a state court.

kidnapping
(also spelled kidnaping) n. the taking of a person against his/her will (or from the control of a parent or
guardian) from one place to another under circumstances in which the person so taken does not have
freedom of movement, will, or decision through violence, force, threat or intimidation. Although it is not
necessary that the purpose be criminal (since all kidnapping is a criminal felony) the capture usually
involves some related criminal act such as holding the person for ransom, sexual and/or sadistic abuse,
or rape. It includes taking due to irresistible impulse and a parent taking and hiding a child in violation of
court order. An included crime is false imprisonment. Any harm to the victim coupled with kidnapping can
raise the degree of felony for the injury and can result in a capital (death penalty) offense in some states,
even though the victim survives. Originally it meant the stealing of children, since "kid" is child in
Scandinavian languages, but now applies to adults as well.

malice
n. a conscious, intentional wrongdoing either of a civil wrong like libel (false written statement about another) or a
criminal act like assault or murder, with the intention of doing harm to the victim. This intention includes ill-will,
hatred or total disregard for the other's well-being. Often the mean nature of the act itself implies malice, without the
party saying "I did it because I was mad at him, and I hated him," which would be express malice. Malice is an
element in first degree murder. In a lawsuit for defamation (libel and slander) the existence of malice may increase
the judgment to include general damages. Proof of malice is absolutely necessary for a "public figure" to win a
lawsuit for defamation.
See also: defamation libel malice aforethought malicious prosecution murder public figure slander