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Simple English definitions for legal terms
single-act statute
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A quick definition of single-act statute:
A single-act statute, also known as a long-arm statute, is a law that allows a court to have jurisdiction over a person who is not a resident of the state where the law is in effect, but has had some kind of contact with that state. This law is usually extended to its constitutional limits by most states. Essentially, it allows a court to reach out and bring someone to trial even if they are not physically present in the state where the trial is taking place.
A more thorough explanation:
A single-act statute is also known as a long-arm statute. It is a law that allows a court to have jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant who has had some kind of contact with the area where the law is in effect. This means that even if the defendant is not from that area, they can still be sued there if they have done something that falls under the jurisdiction of the law.
For example, let's say that a person from California gets into a car accident while driving through Nevada. If the accident was caused by their negligence, the other driver could sue them in Nevada under the state's long-arm statute. This is because the California driver had contact with Nevada by driving through it, and their actions caused harm to someone in that state.
Most state long-arm statutes are designed to extend jurisdiction to its constitutional limits. This means that they can be used to sue defendants who have had contact with the state in any way that is allowed by the U.S. Constitution.