Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: black-leg labor
Term: EVASIVE
Definition: Evasive means trying to avoid something or being hard to catch. For example, if someone is asked a question and they give a vague or unclear answer, they are being evasive. In legal terms, if a response to a pleading is evasive, the other party can ask for a clearer statement.
Definition: Tending or seeking to evade; elusive; shifting. If a pleading requiring a response is evasive, the responding party may move for a more definite statement. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(e).
Example: During the press conference, the politician was evasive when asked about his stance on climate change.
Explanation: The politician avoided giving a direct answer to the question about his stance on climate change, which shows that he was being evasive.
Example: The witness was being evasive when she kept changing her story during the trial.
Explanation: The witness was not giving a clear and consistent account of what happened, which shows that she was being evasive.