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Malicious

Defined in 6 dictionaries — Case Law, Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893), Black's (1891)

Definitions from Case Law

From 385 U.S. 39 - Adderley v. Florida · 1966Most cited · 1,753 citing opinions

wrongful, you remember back in the original charge, the State has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt there was a malicious and mischievous intent.

The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary

Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922

Done with malice (g. v.)

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

With a wicked and perverse intent. See 50 Mass. 93, 43 Am. Dec. 373.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

Evincing malice; done with malice and an evil design; willful.

Malicious abandonment. In criminni law. The desertion of a wife or husband without just cause.

Malicious abuse of process. The malicious misuse or misapplication of process to accomplish a purpose not warranted or commanded by the writ; the malicious perversion of a regularly issued process, whereby a result not lawfully or properly obtained on a writ is secured ; not including cases where the process was procured maliciousiy but not abused or misused after its issuance. Bartlett v. Christhilf, 69 Md. 219, 14 Atl. 521; Mayer v. Walter, 64 Pa. 283; Humphreys v. Sutcliffe, 192 Pa. 336, 48 Atl. 954, 73 Am. St. Rep. 819; Kline v. Hibbard, 80 Hun, 50, 29 N. Y. Supp. 807.

Malicious act. A wrongful act intentionally done without legal justification or excuse ; an unlawful act done wilfully or purposely to injure another. Bowers v. State, 24 Tex. App. 542, 7 S. W. 247, 5 Am. St. Rep. 901; Payne v. Western & A. R. Co., 13 Lea (Tenn.) 526, 49 Am. Rep. 666; Brandt v. Morning Journal Ass'n, 81 App. Div. 183, 80 N. Y. Supp. 1002.

Malicious arrest. An arrest made willfully and without probable cause, but in the course of a regular proceeding.

Malicious injury. An injury committed against a person at the prompting of malice or hatred towards him, or done spitefully or wantonly. State v. Huegin, 110 Wis. 189, 85 N. W. 1046, 62 In R. A. 700; Wing v. Wing, 66 Me. 62, 22 Am. Rep. 548

Malicious mischief. A term applied to the willful destruction of personal property, from actual ill will or resentment towards its owner or possessor. People v. Petheram, 64 Mich. 252, 3l N. W. 188; First Nat. Bank v. Burkett, 101 111. 394, 40 Am. Rep. 209; State v. Robinson, 20 N. C. 130, 32 Am. Dec. 661; Thomas v. State, 30 Ark. 435. Malicious mischief or damage is a species of injury to private property, which the law considers as a public crime. This is such as is done, not animo furandi, or with an intent of gaining by another's loss, but either out of a spirit of wanton cruelty or wicked revenge. In this latter light it bears a near relation to the crime of arson, for, as that affects the habitation, so does this the property, of individuals; and therefore any damage arising from this mischievous disposition, though only a trespass at the common law, is now, by several statutes, made severely penal. Jacob.

Malicious prosecution. A judicial proceeding instituted against a person out of the prosecutor's malice and ill will, with the intention of injuring him, without probable cause to sustain it, the process and proceedings being regular and formal, but not justified by the facts. For this injury an action on the case lies, calied the "action of malicious prosecution." Hicks v. Brantley, 102 Ga. 264, 29 S. E.,459; Eggett v. Allen, 119 Wis. 625, 96 N. W. 803; Harpham v. Whitney, 77 111. 38; Lauzon v. Charroux, 18 R. I. 467, 28 Atl. 975; Frisbie v. Morris, 75 Conn. 637, 55 Atl. 9.

Malicions trespass. The act of one .who maliciously or mischievously injures or causes to be injured any property of another or any public property. State v. McKee, 109 Ind. 497, 10 N. E. 405; Hannel v. State, 4 Ind. App. 485, 30 N. E. 1118.

A Law Dictionary and Glossary

George C. Kinney · 1893

Intentional or wilful; wanton; reckless; spiteful or malevolent. Malicious abandonment: the desertion of a wife or husband without just cause. Malicions injury: an injury committed out of spite or ill-will against another; an injury committed wantonly, wilfully, or without cause. Malicious prosecution: the procuring of the indictment or arrest of a person without probable cause, and with intent to injure; the action therefor, which is an action on the case, brought upon termination of the prosecution complained of.

A Dictionary of Law

Henry Campbell Black · 1891

Evincing majice; done with malice and an evil design; willful.