GAVEL BURNS
An affidavit is a sworn statement, given voluntarily under oath. It comes from the medieval Latin, meaning he has sworn. It is related to fides, which we saw in the passage from Aeneid IV.
A modus operandi is a method (modus) of doing things. Operandi (from opero, to work) a good example of a gerund, a verb form which functions as a noun.
Cui bono? is a question that may be useful in solving a crime. Who benefits from it? It is actually a double dative construction. You can catch the literal meaning here as “To whom is it of benefit?”
Habeas corpus comes up all the time, and it has nothing to do with dead bodies. The corpus in habeas corpus is necessarily alive, because it is an order to produce the prisoner. Habeas: you should have. Corpus: the body.
Camera is a room or chamber. When a legal case is heard in private, it is held in camera. A case in open court is held in curia, in the court. Because this is the default in our legal system, the term is heard much less often.