Legal Definitions - allegatum

Allegatum

An allegatum refers to a specific fact or statement that is formally asserted or claimed by one party in a legal document, such as a complaint, petition, or indictment. It is a declaration of something believed to be true, presented to the court for consideration, but it has not yet been proven or disproven through evidence. The plural form is allegata. This term is essentially synonymous with an "allegation."

• Example 1: Contract Dispute

  In a lawsuit concerning a breach of contract, a plaintiff might file a complaint stating, "The defendant failed to deliver the custom-made furniture by the agreed-upon date of October 15th, despite receiving full payment."

  This statement, that the defendant missed the delivery deadline, is an allegatum. It is a specific fact the plaintiff is asserting in their legal filing, which they will later need to support with evidence to prove their case.

• Example 2: Criminal Indictment

  When a grand jury issues an indictment against an individual, it might include a statement like, "On or about January 1st, the defendant knowingly and intentionally accessed the victim's bank account without authorization and transferred funds."

  Each specific action described – knowingly accessing the account, doing so without authorization, and transferring funds – represents an allegatum. These are the facts the prosecution alleges occurred, forming the basis of the criminal charge, which they must then prove to a jury.

• Example 3: Property Dispute

  In a dispute over property boundaries, one homeowner might file a legal document asserting, "The fence erected by the neighboring property owner encroaches 2 feet onto my land, according to the official survey conducted last month."

  The claim that the fence encroaches by a specific distance is an allegatum. It is a factual assertion made in a formal legal pleading, which the homeowner will need to substantiate with evidence, such as the survey report, during the legal process.