Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 5 > Division 1 > Part 1 > Chapter 1 - General

• Abandoned excavation: means any abandoned mining shaft, pit, well, septic tank, cesspool, or other abandoned excavation dangerous to persons legally on the premises where the abandoned excavation is located or to minors under the age of 12 years. See California Government Code 50230
• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Action: includes a civil action and a criminal action. See California Evidence Code 105
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Approved: as used in this article , means the approval of the legislative body of the local agency, as the result of investigation and tests conducted by such agency or by reason of the accepted principles or tests by recognized national or state authorities, technical, or scientific organizations. See California Government Code 50022.1
• Arbitration: means a method of resolving a rights dispute under which the parties to a controversy must accept the award of a third party. See California Government Code 3562
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Board: means the Public Employment Relations Board created pursuant to Section 3541. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Board: means the Public Employment Relations Board established pursuant to Section 3513. See California Government Code 3562
• board: means any entity listed in Section 101, the entities referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600, the State Bar, the Department of Real Estate, and any other state agency that issues a license, certificate, or registration authorizing a person to engage in a business or profession. See California Business and Professions Code 31
• Burden of proof: means the obligation of a party to establish by evidence a requisite degree of belief concerning a fact in the mind of the trier of fact or the court. See California Evidence Code 115
• Bureau: means the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• candidate: includes any officeholder who is subject to a recall election. See California Elections Code 305
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• certified employee organization: means an organization that has been certified by the board as the exclusive representative of the public school employees in an appropriate unit after a proceeding under Article 5 (commencing with Section 3544). See California Government Code 3540.1
• Changes: as used in this chapter shall include corrections, alterations, modifications, additions, omissions, increases or decreases. See California Streets and Highways Code 10350
• Chief: means the Chief of the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• City: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 18
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town. See California Streets and Highways Code 15
• clerk: means the clerk of a county or the legislative body thereof. See California Government Code 50270.5
• Clerk: means the county elections official, registrar of voters, city clerk, or other officer or board charged with the duty of conducting any election. See California Elections Code 307
• Code: as used in this article , means any statute, or any published compilation of rules, regulations or standards adopted by the federal government or the State of California, or by any agency of either of them. See California Government Code 50022.1
• Collateral: means any specific vehicle, trailer, boat, recreational vehicle, motor home, appliance, or other property that is subject to a security agreement. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Commission: means the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the County of Orange established pursuant to Section 21582. See California Elections Code 21580
• commission: means the California Transportation Commission. See California Streets and Highways Code 22
• Commissioner: means any county agricultural commissioner. See California Food and Agricultural Code 26
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conduct: includes all active and passive behavior, both verbal and nonverbal. See California Evidence Code 125
• Construction: includes :

  California Streets and Highways Code 29

• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• County: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 17
• County: includes city and county. See California Food and Agricultural Code 29
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes "city and county. See California Streets and Highways Code 14
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deadly weapon: means and includes any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a firearm. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Debtor: means any person obligated under a security agreement. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Declarant: is a person who makes a statement. See California Evidence Code 135
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Consumer Affairs. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Department: means the Department of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 32
• Department: means the Department of Transportation of this state. See California Streets and Highways Code 20
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Director: means the Director of Consumer Affairs. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Disability: means a medical condition, mental disability, or physical disability, as those terms are defined in subdivisions (i), (j), and (l) of §. See California Elections Code 354.5
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• District: means a habitat maintenance assessment district formed pursuant to this article. See California Government Code 50060
• Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
• Election board: means the board of supervisors of each county, the city council or other governing body of a city, or any board or officer to whom similar powers and duties are given by any charter. See California Elections Code 319
• Elections official: means any of the following:

  California Elections Code 320

• Elector: means a person who is a United States citizen 18 years of age or older and, except as specified in subdivision (b), is a resident of an election precinct in this state on or before the day of an election. See California Elections Code 321
• Electrolysis: as used in this chapter includes electrolysis or thermolysis. See California Business and Professions Code 7316
• Electronic format: includes , but is not limited to, a text message, email, or internet posting. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• employee: means a person employed by a public school employer except persons elected by popular vote, persons appointed by the Governor of this state, management employees, and confidential employees. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Employee organization: means an organization that includes employees of a public school employer and that has as one of its primary purposes representing those employees in their relations with that public school employer. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Employee organization: means any organization of any kind in which higher education employees participate and that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with higher education employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment of employees. See California Government Code 3562
• employer: means the governing board of a school district, a school district, a county board of education, a county superintendent of schools, a charter school that has declared itself a public school employer pursuant to subdivision (b) of §. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Evidence: means testimony, writings, material objects, or other things presented to the senses that are offered to prove the existence or nonexistence of a fact. See California Evidence Code 140
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Exclusive representative: means the employee organization recognized or certified as the exclusive negotiating representative of public school employees, as "public school employee" is defined in subdivision (j), in an appropriate unit of a public school employer. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Exclusive representative: means any recognized or certified employee organization or person it authorizes to act on its behalf. See California Government Code 3562
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fire suppression: includes firefighting and fire prevention including, but not limited to, vegetation removal or management undertaken, in whole or in part, for the reduction of a fire hazard. See California Government Code 50078.1
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• General election: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 324

• Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• hearing: means the hearing at which a question under this code arises, and not some earlier or later hearing. See California Evidence Code 145
• Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
• higher education employee: means any employee, including student employees whose employment is contingent on their status as students, of the Regents of the University of California, the Board of Directors of the college named in §. See California Government Code 3562
• higher education employer: means the Regents of the University of California in the case of the University of California, the Board of Directors of the college named in §. See California Government Code 3562
• Impasse: means that the parties to a dispute over matters within the scope of representation have reached a point in meeting and negotiating at which their differences in positions are so substantial or prolonged that future meetings would be futile. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Impasse: means that the parties have reached a point in meeting and conferring at which their differences in positions are such that further meetings would be futile. See California Government Code 3562
• Improvement: means one or any combination of the following:

  California Government Code 50060

• Incidental expenses: include all of the following:

  California Government Code 50060

• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Inspector: means the supervisor of the precinct board of which he or she is a member. See California Elections Code 325
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Law: includes constitutional, statutory, and decisional law. See California Evidence Code 160
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legal owner: means a person holding any of the following:

  California Business and Professions Code 7500.1

• Legislative body: means the city council, board of supervisors, or any other governing body of a local agency. See California Government Code 50060
• Legislative body: means the board of directors, trustees, governors, or any other governing body of a local agency specified in subdivision (b). See California Government Code 50078.1
• Legislative body: means the legislative body of a local agency. See California Government Code 50230
• Legislative body: as used in this division , means board of supervisors in the case of a county or city and county, and city council or board of trustees in the case of a city, unless the context otherwise requires. See California Government Code 50002
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• license: means license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Section 1000 or 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.7
• Licensee: means an individual, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation licensed under this chapter as a repossession agency. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Licensee: means any person authorized by a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.8
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Local agency: means any city, county, or city and county, whether general law or chartered. See California Government Code 50060
• Local agency: means any county, city, city and county, including a charter city or county, or any special district. See California Government Code 50075.5
• Local agency: means any city, county, or city and county, whether general law or chartered, or special district, including a county service area created pursuant to the County Service Area Law (Chapter 2. See California Government Code 50078.1
• Local agency: means a city, a city and county, or a county. See California Government Code 50230
• Local agency: as used in this division means county, city, or city and county, unless the context otherwise requires. See California Government Code 50001
• maintenance: means the furnishing of services and materials for the ordinary and usual maintenance, operation, and servicing of any improvement, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

  California Government Code 50060

• maintenance: includes any of the following:

  California Streets and Highways Code 27

• Managerial employee: means any employee having significant responsibilities for formulating or administering policies and programs. See California Government Code 3562
• Measure: means any constitutional amendment or other proposition submitted to a popular vote at any election. See California Elections Code 329
• Meet and confer: means the performance of the mutual obligation of the higher education employer and the exclusive representative of its employees to meet at reasonable times and to confer in good faith with respect to matters within the scope of representation and to endeavor to reach agreement on matters within the scope of representation. See California Government Code 3562
• Meeting and negotiating: means meeting, conferring, negotiating, and discussing by the exclusive representative and the public school employer in a good faith effort to reach agreement on matters within the scope of representation and the execution, if requested by either party, of a written document incorporating any agreements reached, which document shall, when accepted by the exclusive representative and the public school employer, become binding upon both parties and, notwithstanding Section 3543. See California Government Code 3540.1
• Military or overseas voter: means an elector absent from the county in which he or she is otherwise eligible to vote who is any of the following:

  California Elections Code 300

• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• New citizen: means any person who meets all requirements of an elector of, and has established residency in, the state, except that he or she will become a United States citizen after the 15th day prior to an election. See California Elections Code 331
• New resident: means a person who meets all requirements of an elector of the State of California except that his or her residency was established subsequent to the 15th day prior to the election. See California Elections Code 332
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Nominate: means the selection, at a state-conducted primary election, of candidates who are entitled by law to participate in the general election for that office, but does not mean any other lawful mechanism that a political party may adopt for the purposes of choosing the candidate who is preferred by the party for a nonpartisan or voter-nominated office. See California Elections Code 332.5
• Nonpartisan office: means an office, except for a voter-nominated office, for which no party may nominate a candidate. See California Elections Code 334
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Elections Code 335
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Original: means the writing itself or any counterpart intended to have the same effect by a person executing or issuing it. See California Evidence Code 255
• Out-of-state emergency worker: means a voter who is officially engaged in responding to the proclamation of an out-of-state emergency and whose vocation has been identified in an executive order relating to the state of emergency. See California Elections Code 336.7
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Party: means a political party or organization that has qualified for participation in any primary or presidential general election. See California Elections Code 338
• Person: includes any individual, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Person: means one or more individuals, organizations, associations, corporations, boards, committees, commissions, agencies, or their representatives. See California Government Code 3562
• person: as used in this article in reference to a person liable to pay a charge includes districts formed for the purpose of constructing or maintaining sewers. See California Government Code 50142
• Person: includes a natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or public entity. See California Evidence Code 175
• Person: means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, or any organized group of persons whether incorporated or not. See California Food and Agricultural Code 38
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Person: means any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, organization, limited liability company, or business trust. See California Streets and Highways Code 19
• Personal effects: means any property that is not the property of the legal owner and is not listed on the repossession assignment. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Polling place: means a location where a voter casts a ballot and includes the following terms, as applicable: poll, polling location, and vote center. See California Elections Code 338.5
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Precinct: means a geographical area within a county that is made up of voters and is formed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 12. See California Elections Code 338.6
• precinct board: means the board appointed by the elections official to serve at a vote center. See California Elections Code 339
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Primary code: as used in this article , means any code which is directly adopted by reference, in whole or in part, by any ordinance passed pursuant to this article. See California Government Code 50022.1
• Primary election: includes all primary nominating elections provided for by this code. See California Elections Code 341
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• Professional employee: means :

  California Government Code 3562

• Property: includes both real and personal property. See California Evidence Code 185
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public entity: includes a nation, state, county, city and county, city, district, public authority, public agency, or any other political subdivision or public corporation, whether foreign or domestic. See California Evidence Code 200
• Published: as used in this article , means issued in printed, lithographed, multigraphed, mimeographed or similar form. See California Government Code 50022.1
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• recognized employee organization: means an employee organization that has been recognized by an employer as the exclusive representative pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 3544). See California Government Code 3540.1
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Registered owner: means the individual listed in the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, on a conditional sales contract, or on an assignment or a repossession order, as the registered owner. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Registrant: means a person registered under this chapter. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Regular election: is a n election, the specific time for the holding of which is prescribed by law. See California Elections Code 348
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Remote accessible vote by mail system: means a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software that is used for the sole purpose of marking an electronic vote by mail ballot for a voter who shall print the paper cast vote record to be submitted to the elections official. See California Elections Code 303.3
• Repossession: means any of the following:

  California Business and Professions Code 7500.1

• repossession order: means any written authorization by the legal owner, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or the agent of any of them, to skip trace, locate, or repossess any collateral, including, but not limited to, collateral registered under the Vehicle Code that is subject to a security agreement that contains a repossession clause. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Roster: means the official list of voters for an election, which may be in paper or electronic form. See California Elections Code 349.5
• School measure: means any proposition, including but not limited to, a proposal for the issuance of bonds by a school district or community college district, an increase in the maximum tax rate of a school district or community college district, or the acceptance, expenditure, and repayment of state funds by a school district or community college district to enable the district to construct buildings and other facilities, submitted to the voters of the district at any election held in the district. See California Elections Code 350
• scope of representation: means , and is limited to, wages, hours of employment, and other terms and conditions of employment. See California Government Code 3562
• Secondary code: as used in this article , means any code which is incorporated by reference, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in any primary code or in any secondary code. See California Government Code 50022.1
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 35
• Security agreement: means an obligation, pledge, mortgage, chattel mortgage, lease agreement, deposit, or lien, given by a debtor as security for payment or performance of a debt, by furnishing the creditor with a recourse to be used in case of failure in the principal obligation. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Sell: includes offer for sale, expose for sale, possess for sale, exchange, barter, or trade. See California Food and Agricultural Code 44
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Services: means any duty or labor to be rendered by one person for another. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Signature: includes either of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• Signature stamp: means a stamp that contains the impression of any of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• Software: includes all programs, voting devices, cards, ballot cards or papers, operating manuals or instructions, test procedures, printouts, and other nonmechanical or nonelectrical items necessary to the operation of a voting system. See California Elections Code 355
• Special district: means an agency of the state, formed pursuant to general law or a special act, for the performance of governmental or proprietary functions, with limited geographic boundaries, including, but not limited to, a school district and a community college district. See California Government Code 50075.5
• Special election: is a n election, the specific time for the holding of which is not prescribed by law. See California Elections Code 356
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Business and Professions Code 14.2
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Government Code 12.2
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Elections Code 356.5
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Evidence Code 220
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• Statement: means (a) oral or written verbal expression or (b) nonverbal conduct of a person intended by him as a substitute for oral or written verbal expression. See California Evidence Code 225
• Statewide election: is a n election held throughout the state. See California Elections Code 357
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Food and Agricultural Code 49
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Superintendent: means street superintendent, his assistants and deputies, or other public officer designated by the legislative body to perform the duties imposed by this article upon the superintendent. See California Government Code 50230
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Vote center: means a location established for holding elections that offers the services described in Sections 2170 and 4005. See California Elections Code 357.5
• Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
• Voter-nominated office: means a congressional or state elective office for which a candidate may choose to have his or her party preference or lack of party preference indicated upon the ballot. See California Elections Code 359.5
• Voting system: means a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software, or any combination of these used for casting a ballot, tabulating votes, or both. See California Elections Code 362
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writing: means handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, photocopying, transmitting by electronic mail or facsimile, and every other means of recording upon any tangible thing, any form of communication or representation, including letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combinations thereof, and any record thereby created, regardless of the manner in which the record has been stored. See California Evidence Code 250