What Is Abuse of Discretion?
Abuse of discretion describes situations in which a court exceeds legal boundaries in a case, depriving someone of the right to a fair trial in the process. In cases in which abuse of discretion has occurred, a review of the case by a higher court on appeal can result in a reversal of the ruling. It is extremely challenging to prove abuse of discretion, however, and usually it must be shown that the court acted so far out of bounds that it is simply indefensible.