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Simple English definitions for legal terms
scandalous matter
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A quick definition of scandalous matter:
Scandalous Matter: A term used in civil procedure to describe something that is both very shameful or hurtful to someone's reputation and has nothing to do with the case being argued. For example, if someone were to make a false claim about someone's personal life in a court case that had nothing to do with that person's personal life, it would be considered scandalous matter. A federal court can order this type of information to be removed from a legal document if it is deemed irrelevant and harmful.
A more thorough explanation:
Scandalous matter is a term used in civil procedure to describe something that is both extremely disgraceful or defamatory and irrelevant to the case at hand. For example, if someone is suing their neighbor for property damage, but includes scandalous allegations about the neighbor's personal life that have nothing to do with the case, that would be considered scandalous matter.
In federal court, a party can request that scandalous matter be removed from a pleading, or the court can do so on its own. This is outlined in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f).
For instance, if a plaintiff in a lawsuit against a company includes scandalous allegations about the CEO's personal life that have nothing to do with the case, the defendant could request that those allegations be struck from the pleading as scandalous matter.