Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes > Chapter 4 > Subchapter III - Assembly Districts

• Acquire: when used in connection with a grant of power to any person, includes the acquisition by purchase, grant, gift or bequest. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Active psychosis: means a severe mental condition where an individual's mental reality is separated from the individual's physical reality and the individual experiences symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Administer: when used in reference to administering a drug to an animal, means directly applying the drug, whether by injection, ingestion, or any other means, to the body of the animal. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Adult: means a person who has attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated any state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "adult" means a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• 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.
• Alcoholic: means a person who is suffering from alcoholism. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Alcoholism: is a disease which is characterized by the dependency of a person on the drug alcohol, to the extent that the person's health is substantially impaired or endangered or his or her social or economic functioning is substantially disrupted. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Animal: means any animal except a human being. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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 treatment facility: means any publicly or privately operated treatment facility or unit thereof approved by the department for treatment of alcoholic, drug dependent, mentally ill or developmentally disabled persons. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Approved tribal treatment facility: means a treatment agency that operates under the direction and control of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state and meets the standards prescribed for approved treatment facilities under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• 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}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Bequest: includes a devise; "bequeath" includes devise. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Brain injury: includes any injury to the brain under par. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• budget period: means 2 consecutive fiscal years covered by a biennial budget adopted by a city that has acted under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 65.02
• Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
• 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.
• Center for the developmentally disabled: means any facility which is operated by the department and which provides services including, but not limited to, 24-hour treatment, consultation, training and education for developmentally disabled persons. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• chief of a fire department: includes the chief of a department under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Chiropractor: means a person holding a license issued by the chiropractic examining board. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Client: means the person who owns or who has primary responsibility for the care of a patient. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Committee membership: Legislators are assigned to specific committees by their party. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent factors in the committee assignment process.
• 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.
• Communicable disease: means any disease that the department of health services determines, by rule, to be communicable in fact. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Community mental health program: means a program to provide community-based outpatient mental health services that is operated by or under contract with a county department of community programs or that requests payment for the services under the medical assistance program or under benefits required under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Community support program: means a coordinated care and treatment system that provides a network of services through an identified treatment program and staff to ensure ongoing therapeutic involvement and individualized treatment in the community for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conditional transfer: means a transfer of a patient or resident to a less restrictive environment for treatment which is made subject to conditions imposed for the benefit of the patient or resident. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Conference report: The compromise product negotiated by the conference committee. The "conference report" is submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval.
• Contemplation of death: The expectation of death that provides the primary motive to make a gift.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• 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.
• Corporation: means a private corporation organized under the laws of this state. See Wisconsin Statutes 31.01
• County board: means the county board of supervisors. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• County of residence: means the county that is determined under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Cross examine: Questioning of a witness by the attorney for the other side.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• 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.
• Degenerative brain disorder: means the loss or dysfunction of brain cells to the extent that the individual is substantially impaired in his or her ability to provide adequately for his or her own care or custody or to manage adequately his or her property or financial affairs. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Dentist: means a person who is licensed as a dentist under subch. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Department: when used in this chapter without other words of description or qualification means the department of natural resources. See Wisconsin Statutes 28.005
• Department: means the department of natural resources. See Wisconsin Statutes 31.01
• Department: means the department of transportation. See Wisconsin Statutes 84.001
• Department: means the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Department: means the department of administration. See Wisconsin Statutes 35.001
• departments: means any department, board, commission or other body under the control of the common council which expends city funds or incurs obligations for the city, and unless otherwise expressed refers to the head of such department. See Wisconsin Statutes 65.02
• 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.
• Developmental disability: means a disability attributable to brain injury, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, Prader-Willi syndrome, intellectual disability, or another neurological condition closely related to an intellectual disability or requiring treatment similar to that required for individuals with an intellectual disability, which has continued or can be expected to continue indefinitely and constitutes a substantial handicap to the afflicted individual. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means the person in charge of a state treatment facility, state or local treatment center, or approved private facility. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• 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:
• Dispense: means the act of delivering a drug to a person who may lawfully possess the drug, including the compounding, packaging or labeling necessary to prepare the drug for delivery. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Division of hearings and appeals: means the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration. See Wisconsin Statutes 84.001
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donee: The recipient of a gift.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Drug: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Drug dependence: means a disease that is characterized by a person's use of one or more drugs that is beyond the person's ability to control to the extent that the person's physical health is substantially impaired or his or her social or economic functioning is substantially disrupted. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Drug dependent: means suffering from drug dependence. See Wisconsin Statutes 51.01
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• Enrolled bill: The final copy of a bill or joint resolution which has passed both chambers in identical form. It is printed on parchment paper, signed by appropriate officials, and submitted to the President/Governor for signature.
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• 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}
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• estimate: as used in this chapter shall include any written report of or the request of any department setting forth in detail the various sums and purposes it deems reasonably necessary to perform its functions. See Wisconsin Statutes 65.02
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Examining board: means the veterinary examining board. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Extra-label use: means use of a drug in a manner that is not in accordance with the directions for use that are contained on the label affixed to the container in which the drug is dispensed. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• 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.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fire department: includes a department under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Fire fighter: includes a person serving under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• 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.
• Fixed Rate: Having a "fixed" rate means that the APR doesn't change based on fluctuations of some external rate (such as the "Prime Rate"). In other words, a fixed rate is a rate that is not a variable rate. A fixed APR can change over time, in several circumstances:
  • You are late making a payment or commit some other default, triggering an increase to a penalty rate
  • The bank changes the terms of your account and you do not reject the change.
  • The rate expires (if the rate was fixed for only a certain period of time).
• Folio: means 100 words or figures. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Food-producing animal: means an animal that is raised to produce food for human consumption. See Wisconsin Statutes 89.02
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• 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}
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Freeway: means a highway with full control of access and with all crossroads separated in grade from the pavements for through traffic. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governmental body: means a state or local agency, board, commission, committee, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order; a governmental or quasi-governmental corporation except for the Bradley center sports and entertainment corporation; a local exposition district under subch. See Wisconsin Statutes 19.82
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grantee: means the person, firm, corporation or municipality to whom a permit is granted, and all subsequent owners of the grant. See Wisconsin Statutes 31.01
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• Grantor: includes every person from or by whom any freehold estate or interest passes in or by any deed; and "grantee" includes every person to whom any such estate or interest passes in like manner. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
• Health care professional: means any of the following: