Scintilla is Latin for "spark." The word scintilla is only used in the metaphorical meaning of "spark" in English: meaning a hint or trace of something that barely suggests its presence.
In common law, the “scintilla of...
criminal procedure
Search
An inspection or surveillance that is conducted by certain agents of a state (ie. a police officer) in order to obtain evidence that will be used in prosecuting a crime.
search and seizure
Search and seizure, in criminal law, is used to describe a law enforcement agent’s examination of a person’s home, vehicle, or business to find evidence that a crime has been committed. A search involves law enforcement officers going through...
search warrant
A search warrant is a warrant signed by a judge or magistrate authorizing a law enforcement officer to conduct a search on a certain person, a specified place, or an automobile for criminal evidence.
A search warrant...
self-incrimination
Self-incrimination is the intentional or unintentional act of providing information that will suggest your involvement in a crime, or expose you to criminal prosecution.
The Fifth Amendment provides protection to individuals...
sheriff
The sheriff commonly acts as the highest law enforcement officer of the county. The citizens of the county elect the sheriff. Sheriffs usually serve four-year terms. Although in a few states, sheriffs serve for two, three, and six-year terms...
sodomy
Sodomy refers to anal or oral intercourse. As explained in Bass v. State, “Sodomy is defined as any sexual act involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another.”
Traditionally, sodomy has been...
solitary confinement
Solitary confinement, also known as isolation or administrative segregation, is when a prisoner is placed in a cell away from other prisoners, with limited contact with others. Prisoners are usually placed in solitary confinement as a form...
specific denial
Specific denial is the defendant's denial of specific material facts asserted in the plaintiff's complaint; in other words, a denial of parts of an allegation in a complaint. A circumstance in which the defendant does not deny all of the...
Speedy Trial Act (1974)
Codified at 18 U.S.C.A. § 3161 et seq., this act requires, among other things, a criminal defendant to be brought to trial within seventy days of either his or her indictment or first appearance in court. Certain delays are, also, automatically...