Legal Definitions - legal holiday

A legal holiday is a specific day officially recognized by government statute or proclamation, during which many standard legal and governmental operations are suspended. This means that courts are typically closed, no new legal documents (such as summonses or subpoenas) are usually issued or served, and deadlines for certain legal actions might be extended to the next business day. The exact days designated as legal holidays can differ significantly depending on the jurisdiction, such as a particular state or federal system.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a legal holiday:

• Court Operations: Imagine a civil trial that was scheduled to resume on a Monday. However, that Monday falls on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which is a recognized federal and state legal holiday.

  Explanation: Because it's a legal holiday, the courthouse will be closed, and no judicial proceedings, including trials or hearings, will take place. The trial would automatically be adjourned until the next business day, demonstrating how court functions are suspended.

• Legal Deadlines: A lawyer has a critical deadline to file an appeal brief with the court by Friday. If that Friday happens to be New Year's Day, a widely recognized legal holiday.

  Explanation: In most jurisdictions, the deadline would automatically be extended to the next business day that is not a legal holiday (typically the following Monday, assuming it's not also a holiday). This illustrates how legal holidays impact procedural timelines, preventing parties from being penalized for court closures.

• Service of Process: A process server attempts to deliver a summons and complaint to a defendant on Christmas Day, hoping to initiate a lawsuit.

  Explanation: While the act of delivery might physically occur, the legal system generally does not recognize the "issuance of process" or official filing of new cases on a legal holiday. Courts are closed, and official legal actions like initiating a lawsuit are typically considered effective only on regular business days, highlighting the suspension of certain legal administrative functions.