Legal Definitions - defenestration

Defenestration refers to the act of throwing a person or an object out of a window.

While primarily a descriptive term for an action, it can be relevant in legal contexts such as cases involving assault, battery, or homicide.

Defenestration

Defenestration refers to the act of forcefully throwing a person or an object out of a window.

Here are some examples illustrating this term:

• Example 1: During a heated domestic dispute, one individual, in a moment of extreme anger, physically pushed their partner out of a second-story apartment window.

  Explanation: This scenario clearly demonstrates defenestration because it involves the intentional act of throwing a person out of a window, resulting in potential injury or harm.

• Example 2: Following a contentious board meeting, a disgruntled executive, in a fit of frustration, picked up a heavy, ornate clock from their office desk and hurled it through the closed window, sending shards of glass and the clock plummeting to the street below.

  Explanation: This illustrates defenestration through the deliberate act of throwing an object (the clock) out of a window, causing property damage and creating a hazard.

• Example 3: During a public riot, individuals broke into a retail store. One participant grabbed several mannequins and, with considerable force, threw them out of the shattered storefront windows onto the pavement outside.

  Explanation: This example shows defenestration as the act of throwing objects (the mannequins) out of windows during a chaotic event, fitting the definition of forcefully expelling items through a window opening.