Terms Used In Alaska Statutes > Title 8 > Chapter 4 - Accountants

• absentee voting official: means a person appointed to serve as an absentee voting official in accordance with Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• attendance area: means the geographic area designated by the department to be served by a school. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• automated teller machine: means a staffed or unstaffed electronic device or terminal that permits a bank customer to accomplish various financial transactions, including depositing or withdrawing funds, making loans, and transferring funds between accounts, and includes a similar device or facility known or referred to by another name or designation, including customer-bank communication terminal, electronic fund transfer device, or 24-hour teller, but does not include a machine that is operated by more than one bank. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• 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.
• ballot: means any document provided by the director on which votes may be cast for candidates, propositions, or questions. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• bank: means a person doing a banking business, including persons subject to the law of this or another jurisdiction. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• 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.
• 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 state Board of Education and Early Development. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• branch bank: includes an office, agency, or other place of business located in the state and at which deposits are received, checks are paid, or money is lent, but does not include the principal office of a bank or a remote service unit. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• burial plot: means a parcel of real estate that is used for burial of human remains and that is located within an area designated for cemetery purposes by the state or a municipality. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• capital: means the amount of outstanding common stock plus outstanding and perpetual preferred stock. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• 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.
• 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.
• commissioner: means the commissioner of education and early development. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• 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.
• Contingent beneficiary: Receiver of property or benefits if the first named beneficiary fails to receive any or all of the property or benefits in question before his (her) death.
• 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.
• creditor: includes the state on behalf of a victim of a crime or a delinquent act. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• debt: means a legally enforceable monetary obligation or liability of an individual, whether arising out of contract, tort, or otherwise. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• 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 Education and Early Development. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• department: means Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. See Alaska Statutes 34.55.044
• department: means the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• dependent: means an individual who derives support primarily from another individual. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• 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 elections who is the chief elections officer of the state appointed in accordance with Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• disposition: includes sale, lease, assignment, award by lottery, or any other transaction concerning a subdivision, if undertaken for gain or profit. See Alaska Statutes 34.55.044
• division: means the division of elections created under Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• earnings: means money received by an individual for personal services and denominated as wages, salary, commissions, or otherwise. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• election board: means the board appointed in accordance with Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• election official: means election board members, members of counting or review boards, employees of the division of elections, and absentee voting officials. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• 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}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• 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.
• exempt: means protected, and "exemption" means protection, from subjection to process or a proceeding to collect an unsecured debt. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
• 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 election: means a general, special, special primary, or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting, nominating, or electing a candidate for the office of President, Vice-President, presidential elector, United States senator, or United States representative. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• felony involving moral turpitude: includes those crimes that are immoral or wrong in themselves such as murder, manslaughter, assault, sexual assault, sexual abuse of a minor, unlawful exploitation of a minor, robbery, extortion, coercion, kidnapping, incest, arson, burglary, theft, forgery, criminal possession of a forgery device, offering a false instrument for recording, scheme to defraud, falsifying business records, commercial bribe receiving, commercial bribery, bribery, receiving a bribe, perjury, perjury by inconsistent statements, endangering the welfare of a minor, escape, promoting contraband, interference with official proceedings, receiving a bribe by a witness or a juror, jury tampering, misconduct by a juror, tampering with physical evidence, hindering prosecution, terroristic threatening, riot, criminal possession of explosives, unlawful furnishing of explosives, sex trafficking, criminal mischief, misconduct involving a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance, permitting an escape, promoting gambling, possession of gambling records, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• 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
• general election: means the election held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• governing body: means the school board of a borough or city school district or a regional educational attendance area. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• 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.
• guardian: includes a natural, adoptive, and foster parent, stepparent, legal guardian, relative, and other adult person with whom a student has resided and who has acted as a parent in providing for the student or has been responsible for the student's welfare for a continuous period. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010 v2
• house district: means one of the districts described in art. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• household goods: includes those items that make a residence habitable according to modern standards. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• judicial district: means one of the districts defined in Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• 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.
• 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}
• Legatee: A beneficiary of a decedent
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• levy: means the seizure of property under a writ of attachment, garnishment, execution, or any similar legal or equitable process issued for the purpose of collecting an unsecured debt. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• lien: means
  (A) a security interest. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• lieutenant governor: includes an appointed lieutenant governor, governor, or acting governor if a vacancy has occurred in the office of lieutenant governor or governor. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• local election: means a regular or special election held by a borough, city, school district, or regional educational attendance area. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• master register: means the list of all registered voters in the state which is maintained by the director of elections. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• month: means a calendar month unless otherwise expressed. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• municipality: means a political subdivision incorporated under the laws of the state that is a home rule or general law city, a home rule or general law borough, or a unified municipality. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmation. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• oath: includes affirmation or declaration. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• 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.
• offer: includes every inducement, solicitation, or attempt to encourage a person to acquire an interest in land, if undertaken for gain or profit. See Alaska Statutes 34.55.044
• official registration list: means the list of all voters qualified to vote at a particular election compiled in accordance with Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• 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.
• peace officer: means
  (A) an officer of the state troopers. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• person: means an individual, corporation, government, or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, unincorporated association, two or more of any of them having a joint or common interest, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Alaska Statutes 34.55.044
• person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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.
• political group: means a group of organized voters which represents a political program and which does not qualify as a political party. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• political party: means an organized group of voters that represents a political program and has at least 5,000 registered voters in the state. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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 the territory within which resident voters may cast votes at one polling place. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• 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.
• Pretrial conference: A meeting of the judge and lawyers to discuss which matters should be presented to the jury, to review evidence and witnesses, to set a timetable, and to discuss the settlement of the case.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• property: includes real and personal property. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• proposition: means an initiative, referendum, or constitutional amendment submitted at an election to the public for vote. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• purchaser: means a person who acquires or attempts to acquire or succeeds to an interest in land. See Alaska Statutes 34.55.044
• qualified voter: means a person who has the qualification of a voter and is not disqualified as provided by art. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• question: means an issue placed on the ballot to determine whether a judge or justice shall be accepted or rejected, whether a constitutional convention shall be called, whether a state debt shall be contracted, or whether a state official shall be recalled. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• ranked-choice voting: means , in a general election, the method of casting and tabulating votes in which voters rank candidates in order of preference and in which tabulation proceeds in sequential rounds in which (a) a candidate with a majority in the first round wins outright, or (b) last-place candidates are defeated until there are two candidates remaining, at which point the candidate with the greatest number of votes is declared the winner of the election. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• regional educational attendance area: means an educational service area in the unorganized borough which may or may not include a military reservation, and that contains one or more public schools of grade levels K-12 or any portion of those grade levels that are to be operated under the management and control of a single regional school board. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• 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.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• reregistration: means the submission of a registration form by a voter whose registration was inactivated on the master register maintained under Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• school board: means the school board of a borough or city school district or a regional educational attendance area. See Alaska Statutes 14.60.010
• security interest: means an interest in property created by contract to secure payment or performance of an obligation. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• 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.
• special election: means an election held at a time other than when the general or primary election is held and an election called to be held with, and at the time of, the general or primary election. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• state bank: means a bank organized under this chapter. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• subdivider: means an owner of subdivided land who offers it for disposition or the principal agent of an inactive owner. See Alaska Statutes 34.55.044
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• subscription: includes a mark intended as a signature or subscription. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• subscription: includes the mark of a person who cannot write, with the name of that person written near the mark by a witness who writes the witness's own name near the name of the person who cannot write. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• surplus: includes amounts paid in for stock in excess of the par value of the stock, which are generally called capital surplus or paid-in surplus, plus any amounts transferred to the account from undivided profits, which are generally called earned surplus. See Alaska Statutes 06.05.990
• sworn: includes affirmed. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• 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.
• unconditional discharge: means that a person is released from all disability arising under a conviction and sentence, including probation and parole. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• value: means fair market value of an individual's interest in property, exclusive of liens of record. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• victim: has the meaning given in Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• victim of a crime or a delinquent act: means a victim of a crime or a delinquent act committed in violation of state law. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Voice vote: A vote in which the Presiding Officer states the question, then asks those in favor and against to say "Yea" or "Nay," respectively, and announces the result according to his or her judgment. The names or numbers of legisators voting on each side are not recorded.
• voter: means a person who presents oneself for the purpose of voting either in person or by absentee ballot. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• voter registration agency: means an agency designated in or under Alaska Stat. See Alaska Statutes 15.80.010
• wearing apparel: means clothing and garments intended and adapted to be worn on the person to protect the person against the elements or to provide personal comfort or decency, or serving to ornament the person but does not include jewelry. See Alaska Statutes 09.38.500
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• writing: includes printing. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060