Ex Parte

Ex parte is Latin for "without the other." It is a legal term for when a decision is made, usually by a judge, without all parties in the case being present. Usually when a case is discussed, all parties, namely the prosecution, the defendant and his/her attorney, are required to be present to avoid violating the defendant's civil rights, like the right to counsel and the right of due process. However, there are certain situations that might require that one of the parties involved be absent, such as if evidence comes to light that the defendant's attorney is not acting in his/her best interest. At this point, the judge and the prosecuting attorney would meet with the defendant without his/her attorney being present.