Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes > Title 38 > Chapter 10 > Part I - General Provisions

• 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.
• 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
• 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}
• Bidding documents: means the advertisement, plans and specifications, bidding form, bidding instructions, addenda, special provisions, and all other instruments prepared by or on behalf of the department for use by prospective bidders on a public contract. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: means any contract awarded by the department for construction or maintenance of transportation facilities or work authorized by Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9
• Contractor: means any individual, partnership, joint venture, firm, corporation, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or any acceptable combination thereof contracting for performance of public work for the department. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Emergency: means an unforeseen mischance bringing with it destruction or injury of life or property or the imminent threat of such destruction or injury or as the result of an order from any judicial body to take any immediate action which requires construction or repairs absent compliance with the formalities of this Part, where the mischance or court order will not admit of the delay incident to advertising as provided in this Part. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:2211
• Emergency: shall mean an unforeseen mischance bringing with it destruction or injury of life or property or the imminent threat of such destruction or injury, the result of an order from any judicial body to take immediate action which requires construction or maintenance without time to comply with the formalities of this Part. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Louisiana resident contractor: includes any person, partnership, association, corporation, or other legal entity and is defined as one of the following:

  (i)  An individual who has been a resident of Louisiana for two years or more immediately prior to bidding on work. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9

• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plan change: means an alteration, deviation, addition, or omission as to a preexisting department construction or maintenance contract. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9
• Public entity: means and includes the state of Louisiana, or any agency, board, commission, department, or public corporation of the state, created by the constitution or statute or pursuant thereto, or any political subdivision of the state, including but not limited to any political subdivision as defined in Article VI Section 44 of the Constitution of Louisiana, and any public housing authority, public school board, or any public officer whether or not an officer of a public corporation or political subdivision. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:2211
• Public work: means the erection, construction, alteration, improvement, or repair of any public facility or immovable property owned, used, or leased by a public entity. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 38:2211
• Public work: means the erection, construction, alteration, maintenance, improvement, or repair of any highway, bridge, transportation facility, or immovable property owned, used, or leased by the department or any public entity for which the department is acting pursuant to an agreement. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 48:251.9
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.