Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes > Chapter 560 > Article II > Part 1 > Subpart A - General Provisions

• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Ballot: includes :

  (1) A ballot summary reflecting a complete record of the ballot selections made by a voter utilizing an HTML ballot or similar accessible ballot that produces a ballot summary;

  (2) A voter verifiable paper audit trail in the event there is a discrepancy between a voting machine's electronic record of the voted ballot and the voter verifiable paper audit trail; and

  (3) A ballot used in an election by mail pursuant to part VIIA, including a ballot approved for electronic transmission. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 11-1

• 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}
• Community paramedicine program: means an enhanced and expanded service in the county emergency medical services system that allows state-licensed health care professionals and community health workers to assist with public health, primary care, and prevention services, including services through telehealth. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 46-191
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
• County: means any county having a population of five hundred thousand or more. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 46-191
• County system: means the county emergency medical services system. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 46-191
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• 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.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Dower: A widow
• 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.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Hearing: means any meeting in the course of an investigatory proceeding, other than a preliminary conference or interview at which no testimony is taken under oath, conducted by an investigating committee for the purpose of taking testimony or receiving other evidence. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Investigating committee: means any of the following which are authorized to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of books, records, papers, and documents for the purpose of securing information on a specific subject for the use of the legislature:
  (1) A standing or special or select committee or committee of the whole of either house of the legislature;
  (2) A joint committee of both houses;
  (3) An authorized subcommittee of a legislative committee; and
  (4) Any body created by law, the members of which may include nonlegislators. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• month: means a calendar month; and the word "year" a calendar year. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-20
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes a solemn affirmation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-21
• Person: means an individual, group, partnership, firm, association, corporation, trust, governmental agency, governmental official, administrative body, or tribunal or any form of business or legal entity. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 46-122
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• 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.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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.
• 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.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.