Legal Definitions - quinto exactus

quinto exactus

Quinto exactus is a Latin term that means "exacted the fifth time." In history, it referred to a sheriff's return made after a defendant had been called to five county courts but failed to appear. If a defendant failed to appear in court after being called five times, the county coroners would order that the defendant be deprived of the benefits of the law.

For example, if a person was summoned to court five times but did not show up, the sheriff would make a return called quinto exactus. This meant that the person had been called to court five times and had not appeared. The county coroners would then order that the person be deprived of the benefits of the law.