§ 135.740 Construction of words and phrases used

When a criminal charge is written up (like in an indictment or complaint), the words in it are read the way regular people normally understand them. Courts don't look for hidden or unusual meanings in everyday words.

But there's an exception. If a word or phrase has a specific legal definition, the court uses that legal meaning instead of the common one. So if a term has been specifically defined by law, that definition wins out over how people might use the word in everyday conversation.

In short, this rule tells courts to use common sense when reading criminal charges, unless the law says a particular word means something specific and different.