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Simple English definitions for legal terms
overrule
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A quick definition of overrule:
Overrule: Overrule means to reject an objection to evidence in a trial or to overturn a previous decision made by a court. In a trial, the judge can either overrule or sustain an objection made by an attorney. If the judge overrules the objection, it means the evidence is allowed. If the judge sustains the objection, it means the evidence is not allowed. In an appellate court, overruling a case means that a previous decision is no longer the law. For example, in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court overruled a previous decision and made a new rule that separate schools for different races were not allowed.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Overrule is a legal term used in two situations. The first is when a lawyer objects to evidence being used in a trial. The judge can either overrule or sustain the objection. If the judge overrules the objection, the evidence is allowed. If the judge sustains the objection, the evidence is not allowed. The second situation is when an appeals court decides that a previous court decision is wrong and should not be followed anymore. This is called overruling a precedent.
Example 1: During a trial, a lawyer objects to a witness's testimony because it is hearsay (meaning the witness is repeating something they heard from someone else, not something they personally experienced). The judge overrules the objection and allows the testimony because it is important to the case.
Example 2: In the past, a court decision said that it was okay to have separate schools for black and white students as long as the schools were equal. This decision was called Plessy v. Ferguson. Later, in the case Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court overruled the Plessy decision and said that separate schools based on race were not okay. This meant that the Plessy decision was no longer the law and the Brown decision was the new law.
These examples show how overrule is used in different legal situations. In the first example, the judge had to decide whether or not to allow evidence in a trial. In the second example, the Supreme Court had to decide whether or not to change a previous court decision. In both cases, the decision to overrule or not had a big impact on the outcome of the case.