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stonewall To persistently refuse to cooperate in an investigation; esp., to refuse to testify or to hand over requested material until every available legal challenge has been exhausted. stonewalling, n.

stool pigeon 1. An informant, esp. a police informant. 2. A person who acts as a decoy, esp. on behalf ofa gambler or swindler, or for the police to help make an arrest. - Also termed (in sense 1) rat; (in sense 2) capper.

stop Under the Fourth Amendment, a temporary restraint that prevents a person from walking away.

stop and frisk A police officers brief detention, questioning, and search of a person for a concealed weapon when the officer reasonably suspects that the person has committed or is about to commit a crime. The stop and frisk, which can be conducted without a warrant or probable cause, was held constitutional by the Supreme Court in Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1,88 S.Ct. 1868 (1968). Also termed investigatory stop; investigatory detention; Terry stop; field stop. See reasonable suspicion under SUSPICION.

stop order 1. See ORDER (8). 2. An SEC order that suspends a registration statement containing false, incomplete, or misleading information. 3. A bank customers order instructing the bank not to honor one of the customers checks. Also termed (in sense 3) stop-payment order.

stop order An order to buy or sell when the security s price reaches a specified level the stop price) on the market. By fixing the price beforehand, the investor is cushioned against stock fluctuations. Also termed stop-loss order; stop-limit order.

stopgap tax See TAX.

stopgap tax A tax, usu. temporary, levied during the term of a budget to cover an unexpected deficit. Also termed additional tax.

stopgap zoning See interim zoning under ZONING.

stop-limit order See stop order under ORDER (8).

stop-list Antitrust. An illegal means by which manufacturers sometimes attempt to enforce price maintenance, by having suppliers agree among themselves not to supply any party who competes actively and breaks anticompetitive price "rules."

stop-loss insurance See INSURANCE.

stop-loss insurance Insurance that protects a self-insured employer from catastrophic losses or unusually large health costs of covered employees. Stop-loss insurance essentially provides excess coverage for a self-insured employer. The employer and the insurance carrier agree to the amount the employer will cover. and the stop-loss insurance will cover claims exceeding that amount.

stop-loss order See stop order under ORDER (8).

stop-notice statute A law proViding an alternative to a mechanics lien by allowing a contractor, supplier, or worker to make a claim against the construction lender and, in some instances, the owner for a portion of the undisbursed construction-loan proceeds. See mechanics lien under LIEN.

stoppage 1. An obstruction or hindrance to the performance of some act <stoppage of goods or persons in transit for inspection>. 2. Civil law. SETOFF <stoppage in pay for money owed>.

stoppage in transitu (in tran-si-t[y]oo or-tranz-i-t[y]oo). The right of a seller of goods to regain possession of those goods from a common carrier under certain circumstances, even though the seller has already parted with them under a contract for sale. This right traditionally applies when goods are consigned wholly or partly on credit from one person to another, and the consignee becomes bankrupt or insolvent before the goods arrive in which event the consignor may direct the carrier to deliver the goods to someone other than the consignee (who can no longer pay for them), Also termed stoppage in transit. See RECLAMATION (2).

stop-payment order See STOP ORDER (}).

store To keep (goods, etc.) in safekeeping for future delivery in an unchanged condition.

store 1. A place where goods are deposited for purchase or sale. 2. (usu. pl.) A supply of articles provided for the subsistence and accommodation of a ships crew and passengers. 3. A place where goods or supplies are stored for future use; a warehouse.

stored-value card A device that provides access to a specified amount of funds for making payments to others, is the only means of routine access to the funds, and does not have an associated account in the name of the holder. Typically, a consumer pays a bank or merchant money in exchange for a stored-value card; the consumer uses the card rather than paper currency to purchase goods and services. Also termed smart card; prepaid card; value-added card.

store-receiver exemption See AIKEN EXEMPTION.

stouthrief Robbery that takes place in or near ones dwelling, but is not coupled with housebreaking.

stowage (stoh-ij). Maritime law. 1. The storing, packing, or arranging of cargo on a vessel to protect the goods from friction, bruising, or water damage during a voyage. The bill of lading will often prescribe the method of stowage to be used. 2. The place (such as a ships hull) where goods are stored. 3. The goods so stored. 4. A fee paid for the storage of goods; a storage fee.

stowaway A person who hides on board an outgoing or incoming vessel or aircraft to obtain free passage. 18 USCA § 2199.

STR abbr. SUSPICIOUS-TRANSACTION REPORT.

straddle In securities and commodities trading, a situation in which an investor holds contracts to buy and to sell the same security or commodity, thus ensuring a loss on one of the contracts. The aim of this strategy is to defer gains and use losses to offset other taxable income. - Also termed spread eagle; ombination. ¬straddle, vb.

straight annuity See ANNUITY.

straight annuity An annuity that makes payments in fixed amounts at periodic intervals. Cf. variable annuity.

straight bankruptcy See CHAPTER 7 (2).

straight bankruptcy See CHAPTER 7 (2).

straight bill of lading See BILL OF LADING.

straight bill of lading A nonnegotiable bill of lading that specifies a consignee to whom the carrier is con-tractually obligated to deliver the goods . In some countries, including England, a document is not a bill oflading unless it is negotiable. Also termed non-negotiable bill of lading.

straight deductible See DEDUCTIBLE.

straight deductible A deductible that is a specified, fixed amount. 2. The insurance-policy clause specifying the amount of this portion.

straight letter of credit See LETTER OF CREDIT.

straight life annuity See nonrefund annuity under ANNUITY.

straight life annuity See nonrefund annuity.

straight life insurance See whole life insurance under LIFE INSURANCE.

straight life insurance See whole life insurance under LIFE INSURANCE.

straight mortgage See MORTGAGE.

straight sentence See determinate sentence under SENTENCE.

straight sentence See determinate sentence.

straight up See s.u.

straight voting See noncumulative voting under VOTING.

straight-line depreciation method See DEPRECIATION METHOD.

straight-line depreciation method A depreciation method that writes off the cost or other basis of the asset by deducting the expected salvage value from the initial cost of the capital asset, and dividing the difference by the asset's estimated useful life.

straight-line interest See simple interest under INTEREST (3).

straight-line interest See simple Interest.

straight-term mortgage See interest-only mortgage under MORTGAGE.

strain theory The theory that people commit crimes to alleviate stress created by the disjunction between their station in life and the station to which society has conditioned them to aspire. Cf. CONTROL THEORY; RATIONAL-CHOICE THEORY; ROUTINE-ACTIVITIES THEORY.

stramineus homo (stra-min-ee-as hoh-moh). [Latin "man of straw"] See STRAW MAN.

strand A shore or bank of an ocean, lake, river, or stream.

stranding A ships drifting, driving, or running aground on a strand. The type of stranding that occurs determines the method of apportioning the liability for any resulting losses.

stranger 1. One who is not party to a given transaction; esp., someone other than a party or the partys employee, agent, tenant, or immediate family member. 2. One not standing toward another in some relation implied in the context; esp., one who is not in privity. 3. A person who voluntarily pays another persons debt even though the payor cannot be held liable for the debt and the payors property is not affected by the creditors rights. Subrogation does not apply to a stranger if the debtor did not agree to or assign subrogation rights.

stranger in blood 1. One not related by blood, such as a relative by affinity. 2. Any person not within the consideration of natural love and affection arising from a relationship.

stratagem A trick or deception to obtain an advantage, esp. in a military conflict.

strategic alliance A coalition formed by two or more persons in the same or complementary businesses to gain long-term financial, operational, or marketing advantages without jeopardizing competitive independence <through their strategic alliance, the manufacturer and distributor of a co-developed product shared development costs>. Cf. ALLIANCE (1); JOINT VENTURE; PARTNERSHIP.

Strategic National Stockpile A national repository of medicines and healthcare supplies maintained jointly by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to respond to public-health emergencies. Created as the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile in 1999, the agency caches antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, lifesupport medications, IV administration, airway maintenance supplies, and medical supplies. - Abbr. SNS.

stratocracy (stra-tok-ra-see). A military government.

strator (stray-tar). A surveyor of the highways.

straw bail See bail common under BAIL (4).

straw bail See bail common. 5. Archaic. Legal custody of a detainee or prisoner who obtains release by giving surety for a later appearance. 6. Canadian law. A lease.

straw bond See BOND (2).

straw bond A bond, usu. a bail bond, that carries either a fictitious name or the name of a person who is unable to pay the sum guaranteed; a worthless or inadequate bond.

straw man 1. A fictitious person, esp. one that is weak or flawed. 2. A tenuous and exaggerated counterargument that an advocate makes for the sole purpose of disproving it. Also termed straw-man argument. 3. A third party used in some transactions as a temporary transferee to allow the principal parties to accomplish something that is otherwise impermissible. 4. A person hired to post a worthless bail bond for the release of an accused. Also termed stramineus homo. Cf.DUMMY.

straw poll A nonbinding vote, taken as a way of informally gauging support or opposition but usu. without a formal motion or debate.

straw-man scam A scheme in which an innocent third person is hired to receive fraudulently obtained money and wire it to a location outside the country.

stray remarks Statements to or about an employee by a coworker or supervisor, concerning the employees race, sex, age, national origin, or other status, that are either objectively or subjectively offenSive, but that do not represent harassment or discrimination by the employer because of (1) their sporadic, unsystematic, and unofficial nature, (2) the circumstances in which they were made, or (3) their not showing any intention to hamper the employees continued employment. Also termed stray comments.

stream Anything liquid that flows in a line or course; esp., a current of water consisting of a bed, bank, and watercourse, usu. emptying into other bodies of water but not losing its character even if it breaks up or disappears.

stream-of-commerce theory 1. The principle that a state may exercise personal jurisdiction over a defendant if the defendant places a product in the general marketplace and the product causes injury or damage in the forum state, as long as the defendant also takes other acts to establish some connection with the forum state, as by advertising there or by hiring someone to serve as a sales agent there. Asahi Metal Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Superior Court of Cal., 480 U.S. 102, 107 S.Ct. 1026 (1987). 2. The principle that a person who participates in placing a defective product in the general marketplace is strictly liable for harm caused by the product. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 402A (1979).

street A road or public thoroughfare used for travel in an urban area, including the pavement, shoulders, gutters, curbs, and other areas within the street lines. "Strictly speaking, a street is a public thoroughfare in an urban community such as a city, town, or village, and the term is not ordinarily applicable to roads and highways outside of municipalities. Although a street, in common parlance, is equivalent to a highway, it is usually specifically denominated by its own proper appellation .... Whether a particular highway is to be regarded as a street within the meaning of that term as used in a statute must, of course, be resolved by construction." 39 Am. Jur. 2d Highways, Streets, and Bridges § 8, at 588-89 (1999).

street crime See CRiME.

street crime A crime generally directed against a person in public, such as mugging, theft, or robbery. Also termed visible crime.

street gang See GANG.

street name A brokerage firms name in which securities owned by another are registered. A security is held by a broker in street name (at the customers request) to simplify trading because no signature on the stock certificate is required. A street name may also be used for securities purchased on margin. The word "street" in this term is a reference to Wall Street.

street sweep Mergers & acquisitions. Slang. A bidders cancellation of a tender offer followed by the openmarket purchase oflarge blocks of stock in the target corporation.

street time The period between a persons release from prison on parole and a courts revocation of that parole.

street-name security See nominee account under ACCOUNT.

strepitus judicialis (strep-a-tas joo-dish-ee-ay-lis), n. [Law Latin]. Disruptive behavior in court.

strict adj. 1. Narrow; restricted <strict construction>. 2. Rigid; exacting <strict statutory terms>. 3. Severe <strict punishment>. 4. Absolute; requiring no showing of fault <strict liability>.

strict construction See CONSTRUCTION.

strict construction 1. An interpretation that considers only the literal words of a writing. Also termed literal construction; literal interpretation. See STRICT CONSTRUCTIONISM. 2. A construction that considers words narrowly, usu. in their historical context. This type of construction treats statutory and contractual words with highly restrictive readings. Also termed strict interpretation. 3. The philosophy underlying strict interpretation of statutes. See strict constructionism under CONSTRUCTIONISM. "Strict construction of a statute is that which refuses to expand the law by implications or equitable considerations, but confines its operation to cases which are clearly within the letter of the statute, as well as within its spirit or reason, not so as to defeat the manifest purpose of the Legislature, but so as to resolve all reasonable doubts against the applicability of the statute to the particular case." William M. Lile et aI., Brief Making and the Use of Law Books 343 (3d ed. 1914). "Strict interpretation is an equivocal expression, for it means either literal or narrow. When a provision is ambiguous, one of its meanings may be wider than the other, and the strict (i.e .. narrow) sense is not necessarily the strict (i.e., literal) sense." John Salmond, Jurisprudence 171 n.(t) (Glanville L Williams ed., 10th ed. 1947).

strict constructionism The doctrinal view of judicial construction holding that judges should interpret a document or statute (esp. one involving penal sanctions) according to its literal terms, without looking to other sources to ascertain the meaning. Also termed strict construction; literal canon; literal rule; textualism. - strict constructionist, n.

strict constructionism See CONSTRUCTIONISM.

strict constructionist See CONSTRUCTIONIST.

strict constructionist A decision-maker who derives a text's meaning narrowly, using tools such as originalism or textualism, and applies the text according to that meaning. See ORIGINALISM; strict constructionism under CONSTRUCTIONISM. Cf. liberal constructionist. "Under the stimulus of political agitation in the early days of the republic over the powers conferred by the constitu· tion two rival schools of interpretations sprang up. The ones terming themselves strict constructionists held that the language of the constitution should be construed lit· erally and conservatively, while the other party held with equal fervor that the instrument should be construed liberally and according to the spirit rather than the so that they were denominated loose constructionists. Jesse Franklin Brumbaugh, Legal Reasoning and Briefing 129(1917).

strict foreclosure A rare procedure that the mortgagee title to the mortgaged property - without first conducting a sale - after a defaulting mortgagor fails to pay the mortgage debt within a court-specified period. The use of strict foreclosure is limited to special situations except in those few states that permit this remedy generally.

strict foreclosure See FORECLOSURE.

strict interpretation See INTERPRETATION.

strict interpretation Interpretation according to what the reader believes the author must have been thinking at the time of the writing, and no more. Typically, this type of reading gives a text a narrow meaning.

strict liability See LIABILITY.

strict products liability See PRODUCTS LIABILITY.

strict products liability Products liability arising when the buyer proves that the goods were unreasonably dangerous and that (1) the seller was in the business of selling goods, (2) the goods were defective when they were in the seller s hands, (3) the defect caused the plaintiff s injury, and (4) the product was expected to and did reach the consumer without substantial change in condition.

strict rule See SPECIFIC-PURPOSE RULE.

strict scrutiny Constitutional law. The standard applied to suspect classifications (such as race) in equalprotection analysis and to fundamental rights (such as voting rights) in due-process analysis. Under strict scrutiny, the state must establish that it has a compelling interest that justifies and necessitates the law in question. See COMPELLING-STATE-INTEREST TEST; SUSPECT CLASSIFICATION; FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. Cf. INTERMEDIATE SCRUTINY; RATIONAL-BASIS TEST.

strict settlement See SETTLEMENT (1).

strict settlement A property settlement that aimed to keep the estate within the family by creating successive interests in tail and shielding remainders from destruction by the interposition of a trust. Cf. traders settlement.

strict test The principle that disclosure of a privileged document, even when inadvertent, results in a waiver of the attorney-client privilege regarding the document, unless all possible precautions were taken to protect the document from disclosure. Cf. LENIENT TEST; HYDRAFLOW TEST.

strict underwriting See standby underwriting under UNDERWRITING.