How is the appeal process and how does it work? What is an appellant?

An appeal takes place when an appellant resorts to a superior (appellate) court to review the decision of an inferior (trial) court or administrative agency. A complaint to a higher court of an error or injustice committed by a lower court may correct or reverse that error or injustice. An appellant is the party who takes an appeal from one court jurisdiction to another.

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How are civil rights protected?

Civil rights are a huge and important body of rights. Civil rights, along with political rights, are widely viewed as making up the collection of human rights. The exact definition of civil rights is very broad. The rights found in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, for example, can be seen as civil rights. However, when most people refer to ‘civil rights,’ they are referring to a particular right: the right to be free from discrimination.

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What constitutes an illegal adoption?

It is illegal in every state for an adoption that requires exorbitant amounts of money be paid upfront to go forward, specifically if the money must be paid either directly to the birth mother or to a third party or agency acting as a go-between. Any requests for large sums of money in this manner is an excellent sign that the adoption is a scam or other type of illegal activity. This illegal adoption itself will probably not be legally recognized even if it is completed.

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What is perjury?

Perjury is the criminal offense of lying under oath. A perjury charge may be brought when someone makes a false statement after being sworn in or promising to tell the truth in a legal situation.

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What is the difference between extortion and blackmail?

Extortion and blackmail are similar in concept, but there are differences between the two. Extortion is a form of theft that takes place when an offender obtains money, property or services from another person through coercion. Blackmail is a crime in which the offender threatens to reveal information about a victim or his family members that is potentially embarrassing, socially damaging, or incriminating unless a demand for money, property or services is met.

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What is public intoxication?

Public intoxication charges are not limited to individuals under the influence of alcohol. Being under the influence of drugs, including over-the-counter medication or prescription medication, can also lead to a charge of public intoxication. However, unlike other alcohol and drug-related crimes, such as driving under the influence, specific levels of intoxication are not needed to convict for the crime of public intoxication: an individual can be charged with public intoxication when he is or appears to be visibly intoxicated, no matter the level of drugs or alcohol in his system.

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Will I be kept informed during the course of the class action litigation?

If you are part of a class action litigation taking place against a company for any reason, you were probably notified of your right to joint he class by a specific attorney and/ or law firm that is in charge of the litigation. That law firm should provide you with a source of information. As the case moves forward, you will likely receive written notification of any significant changes. There may also be convenient ways to access changing information more quickly.

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