Everyone's heard of the term alibi. But what about modus operandi or habeus corupus? You don't have to be a lawyer to become familiar with common Latin legal terms. When writing a novel that deals with police, detectives, lawyers or having a courtroom scene, knowledge of such terms is a necessity.

Alibi and Modus Operandi

Alibi means “elsewhere” or at another place. A person with an alibi claims he can prove he was in another location involved in some other activity at the time the crime took place. Alibi is not difficult to remember, but is very hard to spell. Be sure to consult the spellchecker when using this term.

A criminal’s modus operandi, or M.O., is his way of doing things. Like most people, criminals are creatures of habit. For example, if a robber always goes in the north window by breaking it with a rock, this would be his M.O. If a similar crime were committed in the neighborhood, but the burglar broke in through the back door, then police would suspect a different perpetrator.

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