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Simple English definitions for legal terms

Vagueness doctrine

Read a random definition: Lieber Code

A quick definition of Vagueness doctrine:

The vagueness doctrine is a rule that says criminal laws must clearly state what actions are illegal. If a law is too vague, it can't be enforced. This rule helps prevent unfair treatment and arbitrary enforcement of the law. It also applies to laws that give too much power to judges or administrators, which could lead to unfair prosecutions.

A more thorough explanation:

The vagueness doctrine is a constitutional rule that requires criminal laws to clearly and specifically state what actions are punishable. If a criminal law is too vague, it is considered "void for vagueness." This doctrine is based on the due process clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of the vagueness doctrine is to ensure that people have fair notice of what actions are illegal and what actions are not, and to prevent arbitrary enforcement of the laws.

For example, if a law states that it is illegal to "act in an indecent manner," this is too vague because it does not clearly define what actions are considered "indecent." On the other hand, a law that states it is illegal to "expose one's genitals in public" is more specific and less likely to be considered void for vagueness.

Another aspect of the vagueness doctrine is that a statute can also be void for vagueness if a legislature delegates too much authority to judges or administrators, which could lead to arbitrary prosecutions. For example, if a law gives judges the power to determine what actions are illegal without providing clear guidelines, this could lead to inconsistent and arbitrary enforcement of the law.

An illustrative case that demonstrates the vagueness doctrine is Skilling v. United States, 130 S.Ct. 2896 (2010). In this case, the Supreme Court found that the "honest services" statute was too vague because it did not clearly define what actions constituted a violation of the law. As a result, the Court ruled that the statute was void for vagueness.

Vague | Valuable consideration

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1a2b3c4d26z
19:10
Inside thoughts!
19:10
this is where I post my inside thoughts
19:11
Nah, the fucked up thing about therapists is they try and make you think your parents are your enemy 99% of the time and really they should be telling you that your parents have almost no effect on the rest of your life. If they can get you to keep focusing on your parents they can keep making money.
19:12
Yeah, my life really does flow in about 5 years periods.
19:12
My crypto also flows in 5 day epochs too.
19:16
what do you do with your days as an unemployed crypto guy? do you play an instrument or something
19:47
please lawd
19:47
forgive me
19:47
its time to go back to tha old me
19:50
this is what i feel like when i get one single drill question right
19:50
when u get one wrong ;(
therapist slander detected
1a2b3c4d26z
20:37
Anyone got any polymarket locks
1a2b3c4d26z
20:37
Is anyone in here cool like fr cool
1a2b3c4d26z
20:37
Like watch college football cool
1a2b3c4d26z
20:37
Or like
1a2b3c4d26z
20:38
Frat
1a2b3c4d26z
20:39
Sorry guys I'm bored trying to get my Berkeley essay to 4 pages
20:40
no way they want four pages that’s crazy
20:41
bitches wanna be different sooo bad 😴
1a2b3c4d26z
20:42
Technically they want 3 to be completely fair to the powers that be, so I'm really trying to push out to 3
1a2b3c4d26z
20:42
But it's 1/2 inch margins
20:44
assuming it was 2 already, you’ve totally got 3 double spaced pages in you
20:45
should I watch the quirky umich dean videos? i feel like all of you have seen them except me but I can’t work up any enthusiasm for the idea
1a2b3c4d26z
20:54
I like Dean Z not sure why she gets slandered sometimes
1a2b3c4d26z
20:54
I would say yeah, they're helpful. But they can verge on unproductive and stress-inducing if you watch enough of them (especially the application read-through ones)
21:07
okay I’ll check them out
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