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Simple English definitions for legal terms
long-arm statute
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A quick definition of long-arm statute:
A long-arm statute is a law that allows a court to have power over someone who lives in another state, as long as that person has done something that connects them to the state where the court is located. This is called long-arm jurisdiction. The court can only have this power if the person has had some kind of contact with the state, like doing business there or causing a problem there. However, even if the person has had contact with the state, the court still has to think about whether it's fair to make the person come to court there. They have to think about things like how hard it would be for the person to come to court, whether the state has a good reason to make them come there, and whether it would be more efficient to have the case in that state.
A more thorough explanation:
A long-arm statute is a law that allows a court to have power over an out-of-state defendant if they have a connection to the state. This means that even if the defendant is not from the state, they can still be sued in that state if they have done something that gives the court jurisdiction over them.
For example, if someone from California gets into a car accident in New York and injures someone, the injured person can sue them in New York even though the defendant is from California. This is because New York has a long-arm statute that allows them to have jurisdiction over the defendant due to their actions in the state.
However, just because a court has jurisdiction over a defendant does not mean they will always use it. The court must also consider if it is fair to the defendant to be sued in that state and if it is efficient for the court to handle the case.
Overall, a long-arm statute allows a court to have power over an out-of-state defendant if they have a connection to the state, but the court must also consider fairness and efficiency before asserting jurisdiction.