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Simple English definitions for legal terms
night
Read a random definition: known heir
A quick definition of night:
Night is the time when the sun goes down and it gets dark outside. It's the opposite of daytime. During the night, it's hard to see things clearly because it's dark. Some people do bad things at night, like breaking into houses, which is why it's important to be safe and stay inside when it's dark outside. Nighttime is also when we go to sleep and rest our bodies so we can be ready for the next day.
A more thorough explanation:
Night is the time from sunset to sunrise when it is dark outside. It is also the time when a person's face is not easily visible. In some cases, the term "night" is defined by law, such as in a statute requiring specific authorization for night searches.
- A person who breaks into a house with the intent to commit a crime during the time from sunset to sunrise is considered a burglar under the common-law definition.
- A statute may define "night" as thirty minutes after sunset and thirty minutes before sunrise.
- Many animals are active at night, such as owls and bats.
The first example illustrates how the common-law definition of "night" is used to define the crime of burglary. The second example shows how "night" can be defined by statute. The third example demonstrates how some animals are active during the time when it is dark outside.
The opposite of night is day, which is the time from sunrise to sunset when it is light outside. Nighttime is another term for night.