Also known as: loci · place · location
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A place or location where an act occurs or a thing exists.
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Liam Larson enters Lila Lin's home and takes her wallet from the kitchen while she sits in the living room. The court finds the locus of the taking satisfies the presence requirement because the kitchen is reasonably close to Lila. The robbery conviction stands even though Liam never entered the living room.
Lorenzo Lugo contracts to sell his warehouse to Levi Lowe. Before closing a fire destroys the building. The court holds the locus of the property shifted to Levi at contract formation under equitable conversion, so Levi bears the loss and must still pay the full price.
Officers obtain a warrant to search Lucas Lee's garage but instead search his basement office. The court suppresses the evidence because the warrant failed to describe the correct locus with particularity as required by the Fourth Amendment.
Lars Lindstrom, a nonresident, signs a multi-year supply agreement with Lighthouse Shipping that contemplates performance and disputes in State A. The court finds the contractual relationship creates sufficient contacts at the locus of performance, supporting personal jurisdiction over Lars.
Legacy Motors sues Lattice Systems in federal court. Lattice maintains its principal place of business in the district and is subject to personal jurisdiction there. The court holds the proper venue locus for the defendant entity is that district under the statute.
Loyal Insurance employee Liam Larson marries Lila Lin while intoxicated at a ceremony in State A. The court examines the locus and timing of the ceremony to determine whether Liam possessed the mental capacity required for a valid marriage.
The locus must be reasonably close to the victim. Property taken from another room in the same house where the victim is present satisfies the requirement.
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Once a binding land-sale contract forms, the buyer is treated as owner of the land at that locus, shifting risk of loss to the buyer in most jurisdictions.
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The Fourth Amendment requires warrants to particularly describe the place to be searched so officers know the exact location and courts can limit the search's scope.
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An entity resides for venue purposes in any judicial district where it is subject to personal jurisdiction, making that district the proper locus for the action.
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…§ 34 "has been uniformly held to be no more than a declaration of what the law would have been without it: to wit, that the lex loci must be the governing rule of private right, under whatever jurisdiction private right comes to be examined." See also Bank of Hamilton v. Dudley's Lessee , 2 Pet. 492, 525. Compare…