chain of causation

Legal term used to describe a situation in which a person who seems to be entirely at fault for an event that is punishable by sizable fine and/or jailtime can prove that it was not his or herfault.
Also, whiny, non-responsibility-taking, foolish, last-ditch effort to defer blame.

"The devil made me do it." AND
"I only hit you because you're a whore."

by amc December 1, 2004