Legal Definitions - for-cause

For-cause describes an action or decision that is based on a specific, legitimate, and legally recognized reason or justification. It implies that there is a demonstrable ground for the action, rather than it being arbitrary or without explanation. This term is frequently encountered in contexts such as jury selection and employment law.

• Jury Selection Example: During the jury selection process for a civil lawsuit involving a car accident, a potential juror states during questioning that they were recently involved in a very similar accident and believe the defendant in their own case was entirely at fault, expressing strong negative opinions about drivers who cause accidents.

  Explanation: The attorney for the defendant in the civil lawsuit could make a "for-cause" challenge to remove this potential juror. The specific reason (the juror's stated personal bias and inability to be impartial due to a similar recent experience) provides a legitimate legal ground for their removal, as their objectivity is compromised.

• Employment Termination Example: An employee working as a cashier at a retail store is repeatedly caught on security cameras stealing small items from the store, despite having signed an employee handbook that explicitly prohibits theft and outlines disciplinary actions up to and including termination.

  Explanation: The store management could terminate the employee's employment "for-cause." The specific reason (repeated theft, a clear violation of company policy and law) provides a justifiable and documented ground for dismissal. This type of termination is often distinct from "at-will" employment, where an employer might not need to state a specific reason, and can protect the employer from claims of wrongful termination.