Even these common specifically-Jewish surnames can be misleading, though. The surname Cohan (as in songwriter George M.) is usually Irish rather than Jewish. The surname Lavigne (as in singer Avril) is pronounced much like Levine, but it is a common gentile name among French Canadians.
malice aforethought - Legal Definition. n. The requisite state of mind for murder to be charged under the common law, involving an intent to kill or to cause serious physical harm, depraved indifference to human life, or an intent to commit another serious felony that results in a death.
The Law Dictionary demonstrates that the word malice itself is not just ill will but an intentional wrongful act against someone without a justified excuse, thereby defining malicious intent.. It is a violation of the law by someone that works to the prejudice of another person. Continue Reading.