Against Dictionaries: The Exceptional Case

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State v. Werdell, 2006 WL 1429161 (Ore. May 25, 2006) (case about a lawyer who is charged with hindering prosecution; defendant attorney challenges the state appeals court’s use of the dictionary definition of the words “discovery” and “apprehension” instead of the actual words in the statute. The Oregon Supreme Court agreed this time; statutory definitions trump the dictionary.

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