Plea (?), n. [OE. plee,
plai, plait, fr. OF. plait, plaid,
plet, LL. placitum judgment, decision, assembly, court,
fr. L. placitum that which is pleasing, an opinion, sentiment,
from placere to please. See Please, and cf.
Placit, Plead.] 1. (Law)
That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause; in a
stricter sense, an allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished
from a demurrer; in a still more limited sense, and in modern
practice, the defendant's answer to the plaintiff's declaration and
demand. That which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is
answered and repelled or justified by the defendant's plea. In
chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or
relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit should be
either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In criminal practice, the
plea is the defendant's formal answer to the indictment or
information presented against him.
2. (Law) A cause in court; a lawsuit;
as, the Court of Common Pleas. See under
Common.
The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of
pleas real, personal, and mixed.
Laws of
Massachusetts.
3. That which is alleged or pleaded, in
defense or in justification; an excuse; an apology. "Necessity,
the tyrant's plea." Milton.
No plea must serve; 't is cruelty to
spare.
Denham.
4. An urgent prayer or entreaty.
Pleas of the crown (Eng. Law),
criminal actions.