1. "To take advantage of - To use to ones own advantage."
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john doe: a person who is his own master, (sui juris)
Blacks Law Dictionary 4TH ed. (1968) pg. (provides a more comprehensive definition as follows)
CAPITIS DIMINUTIO: (meaning the diminishing of status through the use of capitalization) In Roman law.
A diminishing or abridgment of personality; a loss or curtailment of a man's status or aggregate of legal attributes and qualifications.
CAPITIS DIMINUTIO MINIMA (meaning a minimum loss of status through the use of capitalization, e.g. John Doe) - The lowest or least
comprehensive degree of loss of status.
This occurred where a man's family relations alone were changed.
It happened upon the arrogation [pride] of a person who had been his own master, (sui juris,) [of his own right, not under any legal disability] or
upon the emancipation of one who had been under the patria potestas.
[Parental authority] It left the rights of liberty and citizenship unaltered.
See: Inst. 1, 16, pr.; 1, 2, 3; Dig. 4, 5, 11; Mackeld.
Rom.Law, 144.
CAPITIS DIMINUTIO MEDIA (meaning a medium loss of status through the use of capitalization, e.g. John DOE) - A lessor or medium loss of status.
This occurred where a man loses his rights of citizenship, but without losing his liberty.
It carried away also the family rights.
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CAPITIS DIMINUTIO MAXIMA (meaning a maximum loss of status through the use of capitalization, e.g. JOHN DOE or DOE JOHN) - The highest or
most comprehensive loss of status.
This occurred when a man's condition was changed from one of freedom to one of bondage, when he became a slave.
It swept away with it all rights of citizenship and all family rights.
CAPITAL CRIME: The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally "regarding the head".
Hence a capital crime was originally one punished by severing the head from the body.
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences.