Also known as: quanta · quantum meruit
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
An amount or portion. The measure of something required or permitted, such as the quantum of evidence needed to support a finding or the quantum of assets subject to an interest.
Quest Quail faced charges for conduct that occurred years earlier. The original limitations period had expired before any new statute took effect. The prosecution offered only the same body of proof that had been available when the period first ran. Because the statute retroactively changed the amount of evidence treated as sufficient for conviction, the court dismissed the case.
Quinn Quigley bought a new car whose steering failed on the first drive. Expert testimony showed a mechanical failure at delivery but could not exclude every other cause. The court held that the evidence met the required amount to support an inference of defect under the implied warranty of merchantability.
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Quade Quincy lived with Quincy Quan for seven years and managed their shared household while all assets were titled in Quan's name. After separation, Quincy sought half the accumulated property. The court allowed recovery measured by the reasonable value of services rendered under an implied agreement.
Quinlan Quick gave a statement after prolonged questioning without counsel. The state offered only the officer's account of the interrogation. The court examined whether that account supplied enough evidence to prove the statement was made voluntarily under the Fifth Amendment standard.
Quincy Quigley, a juvenile, faced a delinquency petition based on disputed eyewitness accounts. The trial judge applied a preponderance standard and found the allegations true. The reviewing court held that the Constitution requires the higher amount of proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a finding of guilt.
Quasar Technologies challenged limits on corporate election spending. The government defended the limits with studies of corruption risks. The Court assessed whether those studies supplied a sufficient quantum of empirical support to justify the restrictions under heightened scrutiny.
It refers to the amount or degree of proof the prosecution must present to satisfy the applicable standard, such as beyond a reasonable doubt. Courts examine whether the evidence reaches that required measure before allowing conviction.
Quantum denotes the amount or portion itself. Quantum meruit is a distinct equitable doctrine that awards recovery measured by the reasonable value of services rendered when no contract price governs.
Yes. When a new law revives a time-barred prosecution by treating a lesser amount of evidence as sufficient for conviction, it retroactively increases the defendant's exposure and violates the Clause.
A court may restrict the expert to subjects and opinions supported by the facts and data actually disclosed. An inadequate foundation fails to meet the required measure under the evidence rules.
…today: "Much of the confusion which has resulted from the effort to deduce from the adjudged cases what would be a sufficient quantum of proof to show that a confession was or was not voluntary, has arisen from a misconception of the subject to which the proof must address itself. The rule is not that in order to render a…