Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: Speaking demurrer
A negative pregnant is when someone denies part of an accusation, but their denial still suggests that the accusation might be true. It's like they're saying "I didn't do that one thing, but maybe I did everything else." For example, if someone is accused of stealing a necklace and they say "I didn't steal the necklace on that day," it could mean they stole it on a different day or they stole something else.
A negative pregnant is when someone denies part of an accusation, but their denial still suggests that the accusation might be true. It's like they're saying "I didn't do that specific thing, but I might have done something similar."
Let's say someone is accused of stealing a phone on Monday. If they say "I didn't steal the phone on Monday," that's a negative pregnant. It suggests that they might have stolen the phone on a different day, or that they might have stolen something else on Monday.
Another example could be if someone is accused of cheating on a test. If they say "I didn't cheat on the test by copying someone else's answers," that's a negative pregnant. It suggests that they might have cheated in a different way, or that they might have cheated on a different test.
These examples illustrate how a negative pregnant can be used to avoid admitting guilt while still acknowledging the possibility that the accusation might be true in some way.