Legal Definitions - separaliter

Definition: Separaliter (sep-uh-ray-luh-tuhr) is a Latin term that means "separately." It was commonly used in legal indictments to emphasize that multiple defendants were being charged with separate offenses, even if the language of the indictment made it seem like they were being charged together.

Example: In an indictment for a bank robbery, the language might say "John Smith and Jane Doe did rob the bank." However, if John and Jane were being charged with different aspects of the crime (e.g. John was the getaway driver and Jane was the one who actually took the money), the word "separaliter" might be added to make it clear that they were being charged separately.

Explanation: The use of "separaliter" in an indictment helps to avoid confusion and ensure that each defendant is being charged with the specific crime they committed. Without this clarification, it might be unclear which defendant was responsible for which aspect of the crime, leading to potential legal issues.