Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes > Chapter 120 - Election Contests

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Attorney: means attorney-at-law. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Certified mail: means any method of governmental, commercial, or electronic delivery that allows a document or package to have proof of:
  (a) Sending the document or package. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• 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.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• Joint session: When both chambers of a legislature adopt a concurrent resolution to meet together.
• 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.
• machine: means a part of a voting system that is either: (a) A direct recording electronic voting machine that:
  1. See Kentucky Statutes 120.005
• 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.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Regular election: means the election in even-numbered years at which members of Congress are elected and the election in odd-numbered years at which state officers are elected. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Sworn: includes "affirmed" in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Voting equipment: means any physical component of a voting system and includes voting machines where voting machines are in operation. See Kentucky Statutes 120.005
• Voting system: means :
  (a) The total combination of physical, mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment, including the software, hardware, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support that equipment, that is used to:
  1. See Kentucky Statutes 120.005
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.