Terms Used In Arizona Laws > Title 36 > Chapter 37 > Article 1 - General Provisions

• Adult: means a person who has attained eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Agency: means any agency that is authorized to direct the release of a person who is serving a sentence or term of confinement or who is receiving treatment, including a state or federal prison, a county jail and the Arizona state hospital or other mental health treatment agency. See Arizona Laws 36-3701
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• 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
• Competent professional: means a person who is:

  (a) Familiar with the state's sexually violent persons statutes and sexual offender treatment programs available in this state. See Arizona Laws 36-3701

• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conviction: includes a finding of guilt at any time for a sexually violent offense or an order of the juvenile court adjudicating the person delinquent for any sexually violent offense. See Arizona Laws 36-3701
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
• including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• 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.
• Less restrictive alternative: means court ordered treatment in a setting that is less restrictive than total confinement and that is conducted in a setting approved by the superintendent of the state hospital. See Arizona Laws 36-3701
• Mental disorder: means a paraphilia, personality disorder or conduct disorder or any combination of paraphilia, personality disorder and conduct disorder that predisposes a person to commit sexual acts to such a degree as to render the person a danger to the health and safety of others. See Arizona Laws 36-3701
• Minor: means a person under eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Month: means a calendar month unless otherwise expressed. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action and evidences of debt. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Process: means a citation, writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Property: includes both real and personal property. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Sexually violent offense: means any of the following:

  (a) Indecent exposure to a person who is under fifteen years of age pursuant to section 13-1402, public sexual indecency to a minor pursuant to section 13-1403, sexual conduct with a minor pursuant to section 13-1405, sexual assault pursuant to section 13-1406, molestation of a child pursuant to section 13-1410, continuous sexual abuse of a child pursuant to section 13-1417 or sexual assault of a spouse if the offense was committed before August 12, 2005. See Arizona Laws 36-3701

• Sexually violent person: means a person to whom both of the following apply:

  (a) Has ever been convicted of or found guilty but insane of a sexually violent offense or was charged with a sexually violent offense and was determined incompetent to stand trial. See Arizona Laws 36-3701

• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ: means an order or precept in writing issued in the name of the state or by a court or judicial officer. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Writing: includes printing. See Arizona Laws 1-215