Legal Definitions - fautor

The term fautor, historically used in legal contexts, refers to an individual who actively supports, encourages, or abets another person or a cause, particularly when that support involves wrongdoing or resistance to legal authority.

It can describe:

• Someone who is an active partisan or supporter of a particular person or group, often in a way that encourages their actions.
• Someone who encourages or incites resistance to the enforcement of a legal process, such as a court order or official procedure.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a fautor:

• Example 1: Encouraging a Rule Violation

  Imagine a group of students planning to sneak into a restricted area of their university campus after hours. One student, while not physically joining them, provides detailed instructions on how to bypass security, offers to create a diversion, and repeatedly tells them, "Go for it! You won't get caught, and it'll be legendary!"

  This student acts as a fautor because they actively encourage and support the others in their plan to violate university rules, even without directly participating in the act of trespassing itself. Their actions provide moral support and practical advice that facilitates the wrongdoing.

• Example 2: Inciting Resistance to a Legal Order

  A city council issues an order for the immediate closure of a dilapidated building deemed unsafe for public use. A local community leader, disagreeing with the decision, publicly rallies residents, urging them to gather at the building and physically block any city officials or demolition crews from entering the premises.

  In this scenario, the community leader functions as a fautor by actively encouraging and organizing resistance to the execution of a lawful government process (the closure order). Their actions aim to obstruct the enforcement of a legal directive.

• Example 3: Active Partisan in Defiance

  During a contentious public hearing regarding a proposed zoning change, a speaker repeatedly interrupts the proceedings and refuses to yield the floor when asked by the moderator. Another individual in the audience stands up, claps loudly, and shouts, "Don't let them silence you! Keep speaking your truth!"

  This audience member acts as a fautor by being an active partisan for the disruptive speaker and encouraging their continued defiance of the established rules and authority governing the public hearing. Their vocal support emboldens the speaker to resist the moderator's instructions.