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Simple English definitions for legal terms

Vagueness doctrine

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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.

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MIAMI A
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:55
How does one know if they are UR1 or UR2?
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:56
CONGRATS MACAQUE!
TY
got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
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