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Simple English definitions for legal terms
year and a day
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A quick definition of year and a day:
A year and a day is a time period that starts on a certain date and ends on the same date the following year. It is important because it is the amount of time allowed for certain legal claims and crimes to be prosecuted. The term comes from the fact that a year traditionally ends on December 31, not January 1. It is also known as "year and day."
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A period of time that starts on a specific date and ends on the same date the following year. For example, January 1 to January 1 of the next year. This term is used in law to refer to the statute of limitations for certain claims and crimes.
Example: In some states, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is "year and day." This means that the injured person has one year and one day from the date of the accident to file a claim.
Illustrative caselaw: Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 (2001) is an example of a case where the "year and day" rule was applied. In this case, the defendant was charged with murder, but the victim died more than a year and a day after the alleged crime. The court ruled that the defendant could not be charged with murder because the "year and day" rule had expired.