Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

INFERIOR

619

INFAMOUS CRIME

of the constitution that "no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise in famous crime unless on a presentment or in dictment of a grand jury." 117 U. S. 348, 6 Sup. Ct. Rep. 777. "Infamous," as used in the fifth amendment to the United States constitution, in reference to crimes, includes those only of the class called u crimen falsi, " which both involve the charge of falsehood, and may also injuriously affect the pub lic administration of justice by introducing false hood and fraud. 15 N. B. R. 3'J5. By the Revised Statutes of New York the term "infamous crime," when used in any statute, is directed to be construed as including every offense punishable with death or by imprisonment in a state-prison, and no other. 2 Rev. St. (p. 702, § 31,) p. SS7, $ 82. INFAMY. A qualification of a man's legal status produced by his conviction of an infamous crime and the consequent loss of honor and credit, which, at common law, rendered him incompetent as a witness, and by statute in some jurisdictions entails other disabilities. INFANCY. Minority; the state of a person who is under the age of legal majority, —at common law, twenty-one years. Ac cording to the sense in which this term is used, it may denote the condition of the per son merely with reference to his years, or the contractual disabilities which non-age en tails, or his status with regard to other pow ers or relations. INFANGENTHEF. In old English law. A privilege of lords of certain manors to judge any thief taken within their fee. INFANS. In the civil law. A child un der the age of seven years; so called "quasi impos fandU" (as not having the faculty of speech.) Cod. Theodos. 8, 18, 8. Infans non multum a furioso distat. An infant does not differ much from a luna tic. Bract. 1. 3, c. 2, § 8; Dig. 50,17,5, 40; 1 Story, Eq. Jur. §§ 223, 224, 242. INFANT. A person within age, not of age, or not of full age; a person under the. age of twenty-one years; a minor. Co. Litt. 1716; 1 Bl. Comm. 463-466; 2 Kent, Comm. 233. INFANTIA. In the civil law. The pe riod of infancy between birth and the age of •even years. Calvin. INFANTICIDE. The murder or killing of an infant soon after its birth. The fact of the birth distinguishes this act from "fceti cide" or "procuring abortion," which terms

denote the destruction of the foetus in the womb. INFANTS' MARRIAGE ACT. The statute 18 & 19 Yict. c. 43. By virtue of this act every infant, (if a male, of twenty, or, if a female, of seventeen, years,—section 4,) upon or in contemplation of marriage, may, with the sanction of the chancery division of the high court, make a valid settlement or contract for a settlement of property. Whar ton. INFANZON. In Spanish law. A per son of noble birth, who exercises within his domains and inheritance no other rights and privileges than those conceded to him. Es criche. INFEFT. In Scotch law. To give seisin or possession of lands; to invest or enfeoff. 1 Kames, Eq. 215. INFEFTMENT. In old Scotch law. Investiture or infeudation, including both charter and seisin. 1 Eorb. Inst. pt. 2, p. 110. In later law. Saisine, or the instrument of possession. Bell. INFENSARE CURIAM. An expres sion applied to a court when it suggested to an advocate something which he had omitted through mistake or ignorance. Spelman. INFEOFFMENT. The act or instru ment of feoffment. In Scotland it is synony mous with " saisine," meaning the instru ment of possession. Formerly it was synon ymous with "investiture." Bell. INFERENCE. In the law of evidence. A truth or proposition drawn from another which is supposed or admitted to be true. A process of reasoning by which a fact or prop osition sought to be established is deduced as a logical consequence from other facts, or a state of facts, already proved or admitted. An inference is a deduction which the rea son of the jury makes from the facts proved, without an express direction of law to that effect. Code Civil Froc. Cal. § 1958. INFERENTIAL. In the law of evi dence. Operating in the way of inference; argumentative. Presumptive evidence it sometimes termed "inferential." 4Fa. St. 272. INFERIOR. One who, in relation to an other, has less power and is below him; one who is bound to obey another. He who makes the law is the superior; he who it

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