consect

[Baker, John]

        It may be a term that's used by the criminal defense bar in
Florida, or in the local area where the trial was held.  I'm not aware
of any examples of its use in legal writing, although an informal term
like this is probably used orally rather than in writing anyway.  It's
even possible (though not particularly likely) that it really was
invented by the defense attorney, or by someone with whom she has come
in contact.

        The use was apparently pretty transparent (after all, you knew
immediately what it meant), so it's not surprising that the judge didn't
remark on it.  It would be different if the term actually had been used
in a formal motion; then the judge would be more likely to remark with
disdain that the defendant's motion didn't even have an established
legal meaning.

        Now that it's been used on television in a high-profile case,
the term is more likely to take off.  If it does, we'll know that Jon's
diligence memorialized its initial popularization.


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 11:54 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: consect

John, it may have been one of the younger female defense attorneys who
actually used the word. By the time I finished noting it, the precise
speaker had fled my mind.

The judge didn't start pounding his gavel shouting, "What the hell are
you
talking about? Order in the court!!" So I assume she didn't coin it.

JL

On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 11:29 AM, Baker, John <JMB at stradley.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: consect
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
>
>        No, it's a neologism.  I don't immediately see any other
> examples of its use at all, although I suspect that a more diligent
> search would turn up a handful.
>
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
Behalf
> Of Jonathan Lighter
> Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2011 10:04 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: consect
>
> Not in OED.
>
> The tot-mom jurors (who weren't afraid to put two and two together and
> get
> two) convicted Tot Mom on four counts of lying to investigators.
>
> This morning Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr., decided to "consect" the
> four-year sentences - make them run consecutively rather than
> concurrently.
>
> I assume this is a well-known legal term.
>
> JL
>

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