bribery
The crime of giving or taking money or some other valuable item in order to influence a public official (any governmental employee) in the performance of his/her duties.

brief
A written legal argument, usually in a format prescribed by the courts, stating the legal reasons for the suit based on statutes, regulations, case precedents, legal texts, and reasoning applied to facts in the particular situation.

broker
In general, a person who arranges contracts between a buyer and seller for a commission (a percentage of the sales price).

brought to trial
The act of actually beginning a trial, usually signaled by swearing in the first witness (not the impanelling of the jury or beginning opening statements).

bucket shop
An unofficial and usually illegal betting operation in which the prices of stocks and commodities are posted and the customers bet on the rise and fall of prices without actually buying stock, commodities, or commodity futures.

building and loan
Another name for savings and loan association. As the name implies, originally these institutions were meant to provide loans for building a house after the depositor had saved enough for a down payment. See also: savings and loan

bulk sale
The sale of all or a large part of a merchant's stock as well as equipment. This generally applies to retailers, restaurants, and other businesses with inventories. See also: bulk sales acts.