- OATH: Written or oral pledge by a person to speak the truth.
- OBJECTION: The process by which a party takes exception to some statement or procedure which is either sustained (allowed) or overruled by the judge.
- OPENING STATEMENT: The initial statement made by attorneys for each side, outlining the facts each intends to establish during the trial.
- OPINION: A written explanation by a judge of the court's ruling. An opinion is typically written by one judge and other judges may write a concurring or dissenting opinion if the judge does not agree with the reasoning of the main opinion.
- ORDER: Legal document establishing the ruling or judgment made by a competent judicial authority.
- ORIGINAL JURISDICTION: the power of a court to hear a case for the first time instead of waiting for the case to be tried by a lower court.
- OVERRULED: A judge's decision not to allow an objection. A decision by a higher court finding that a lower court's decision was in error.