Legal Definitions - solus cum sola in loco suspecto

The Latin phrase solus cum sola in loco suspecto historically refers to a situation where a man is alone with a woman in a place that gives rise to suspicion. It describes circumstances that, by their nature, could lead observers to infer impropriety or an illicit encounter, even if none occurred. The "suspicious place" is key, as it suggests a setting not typically associated with innocent or public interaction between the two individuals.

• Example 1: A senior executive and a junior employee are discovered alone in a locked, unmonitored server room after business hours, long after everyone else has left the office for the day.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates "solus cum sola" because the executive and employee are alone together. The "in loco suspecto" element is the locked, unmonitored server room after hours—a private and unusual place for them to be together, especially given the professional hierarchy. These circumstances could easily lead others to speculate about the nature of their interaction.

• Example 2: At a large social gathering held in a private home, a married guest is observed entering a secluded, dimly lit guest bedroom with another guest, and the door is then closed for an extended period.

  Explanation: Here, "solus cum sola" is met by the two guests being alone together. The "in loco suspecto" is the secluded, dimly lit guest bedroom with the closed door, creating a private and potentially intimate setting away from the main party. This situation could lead other attendees to infer a clandestine or inappropriate meeting.

• Example 3: A security guard on patrol at a university campus discovers a car parked in a remote, unlit section of a parking lot known for privacy, late at night. Inside, a professor and a student are found alone.

  Explanation: This fits "solus cum sola" as the professor and student are alone in the car. The "in loco suspecto" is the remote, unlit parking lot section known for privacy, making their presence there together at that hour inherently suspicious, particularly given the power dynamic in an academic setting, and could suggest an inappropriate encounter.