remand - "To send back"; For example, an appellate court may remand a case to a lower court for retrial or for some change in disposition.   

removal, order of - An order by a court directing the transfer of a case to another court. For example, when a case is proper for jurisdiction in federal court, the federal court may remove the case from the state court in which it was originally filed.   

reporting statutes - State laws requiring certain designated persons (physicians, nurses, teachers) to report to the authorities suspected cases of child abuse and injuries.   

res ipsa loquitur - Literally, "a thing that speaks for itself." In tort law, the doctrine which holds a defendant guilty of negligence without an actual showing that he or she was negligent. Its use is limited in theory to cases in which the cause of the plaintiff's injury was entirely under the control of the defendant, and the injury presumably could have been caused only by negligence.   

res judicata - A rule of civil law that once a matter has been litigated and final judgment has been rendered by the trial court, the matter cannot be relitigated by the parties in the same court, or any other trial court. A court will use res judicata to deny reconsideration of a matter.   

respondeat superior - Literally, "a superior (or master) must answer." The doctrine which holds that employers are responsible for the acts and omissions of their employees and agents, when done within the scope of the employees' duties.   

respondent - 1) the person who is the subject of a petition, 2) the prevailing party in a court case against whom an appeal is taken.   

rest - A party is said to "rest" or "rest his case" when he/she has presented all the evidence he/she intends to offer.   

restitution - Court-ordered payment to restore goods or money to the victim of a crime by the offender.   

restraining order - Similar to an injunction, commanding the party to leave the other party alone, usually in a divorce proceeding.   

retainer - The fee which the client pays when he/she retains an attorney.   

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