Legal Definitions - pattern

In legal terms, a pattern refers to a repeated series of actions, behaviors, or events that consistently occur over time, making them recognizable as a recurring practice or trend.

• Example 1: Employment Discrimination

  Imagine a company where, over the past three years, 80% of all employees laid off were over the age of 55, even though this age group only constitutes 25% of the total workforce. Furthermore, many of these older employees had recently received positive performance reviews.

  This illustrates a pattern because it's not an isolated incident but a consistent, repeated action (laying off older employees) that occurs disproportionately over an extended period. The repeated nature of these layoffs, despite good performance, suggests a systemic practice rather than random occurrences.

• Example 2: Consumer Fraud

  Consider a car dealership that consistently advertises vehicles at a low price, but when customers arrive, they are pressured into buying additional, expensive "mandatory" features or warranties that were not disclosed in the initial advertisement. Multiple customers file complaints detailing identical experiences over several months.

  This demonstrates a pattern because it involves a repeated series of deceptive sales tactics (undisclosed mandatory add-ons) applied to numerous customers over time. The consistency of these complaints points to a deliberate and recurring business practice rather than individual misunderstandings.

• Example 3: Regulatory Non-Compliance

  A pharmaceutical factory is subject to regular inspections to ensure it meets safety and quality standards. Over a two-year period, inspectors repeatedly find the factory failing to properly sanitize equipment, leading to contamination risks. These findings occur in three out of four annual inspections and are documented with photographic evidence and witness statements.

  This shows a pattern of non-compliance because the factory consistently fails to meet sanitation standards across multiple inspections over an extended duration. The repeated nature of these violations indicates a persistent failure to adhere to regulatory requirements, rather than an accidental or one-time oversight.