Legal Definitions - COMM.

"COMM." is an abbreviation for Commonwealth.

In the United States legal system, "Commonwealth" refers to one of four specific states—Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—that officially use this designation instead of "State." When you see "COMM." in legal documents, especially in the title of a court case, it signifies that one of these governmental entities is a party to the legal proceeding. Most frequently, it appears in criminal cases where the Commonwealth is the prosecuting authority, representing the public interest against an accused individual.

• Example 1: Criminal Prosecution

  Imagine a person is charged with assault in Kentucky. The official title of the court case would typically be Commonwealth v. Davis. This abbreviation indicates that the Commonwealth of Kentucky, through its prosecutors, is bringing the criminal charge against Mr. Davis, acting on behalf of the public.

• Example 2: Appellate Court Decision

  Suppose an individual in Pennsylvania appeals a conviction from a lower court. When the appellate court publishes its decision, the case might still be referred to as Commonwealth v. Miller. This shows that the legal dispute originated with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prosecuting a criminal matter, and the appeal is a continuation of that same legal action.

• Example 3: Civil Enforcement Action

  Consider a situation where the Attorney General of Massachusetts files a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company for engaging in deceptive advertising practices. The legal filing might be captioned Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. PharmaCo Inc., or cited in legal documents as Comm. v. PharmaCo Inc. Here, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is acting as a plaintiff in a civil lawsuit, using its governmental authority to enforce consumer protection laws and safeguard its residents.