Terms Used In California Codes > Public Utilities Code > Division 10 > Part 3 - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAPID TRANSIT DISTRICT

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Act: means the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority Act. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• 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.
• aircraft: means any contrivance used for navigation of, or flight in, the air. See California Public Utilities Code 5501
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Arbitration: means a method of resolving a rights dispute under which the parties to a controversy must accept the award of a third party. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• armed forces of the United States: means the "armed forces" as defined in §. See California Military and Veterans Code 389
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• 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.
• Authority: means the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority established pursuant to Section 3320 and any board, commission, department, or officer succeeding to the functions thereof, or to whom the powers conferred upon the authority by this division shall be given by law. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• 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.
• 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.
• battalion: when used in connection with the infantry of the National Guard. See California Military and Veterans Code 281
• 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 Board of Directors of the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• Board: means the Public Employment Relations Board established pursuant to §. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• Bond purchase agreement: means a contractual agreement executed between the authority and an underwriter or underwriters and, where appropriate, a participating party, whereby the authority agrees to sell bonds issued pursuant to this division. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• Bonds: means bonds, including structured, senior, and subordinated bonds or other securities. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• City: includes any city, city and county, district, including any enterprise special district, community service district, or community service area engaged in police protection activities as reported to the Controller for inclusion in the 1989-90 edition of the Financial Transactions Report Concerning Special Districts under the heading of Police Protection and Public Safety, authority, or other local agency (other than a county) which employs persons authorized to make arrests or to issue notices to appear or notices of violation which may be filed in court. See California Penal Code 1463
• City: includes city and county and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Public Utilities Code 19
• 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.
• commercial air operator: means any person owning, controlling, operating, renting, or managing aircraft for any commercial purpose for compensation. See California Public Utilities Code 5500
• commissioner: means a member of the commission. See California Public Utilities Code 20
• 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.
• company: when used in connection with the infantry of the National Guard. See California Military and Veterans Code 281
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• 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.
• County: means the county in which the arrest took place. See California Penal Code 1463
• county: includes "city and county". See California Penal Code 7
• County: includes city and county. See California Public Utilities Code 18
• County: includes city and county. See California Water Code 14
• county water district: means a county water district which has heretofore executed or shall hereafter execute a contract with the United States for any or all of the following purposes:

  California Water Code 23300

• Court: means the superior court or a juvenile forum established under §. See California Penal Code 1463
• Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. ^{Source: OCC}
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• daytime: means the period between sunrise and sunset, and the word "nighttime" means the period between sunset and sunrise. See California Penal Code 7
• 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.
• Defense attorney: Represent defendants in criminal matters.
• department: means the Department of Veterans Affairs. See California Military and Veterans Code 690
• 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.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• directors: as used in this part , means the board of directors of the district. See California Public Utilities Code 30006
• 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:
• District: as used in this part , means the Southern California Rapid Transit District. See California Public Utilities Code 30004
• districts: means one or more irrigation districts together with one or more county water districts. See California Water Code 23450
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Employee organization: means any organization of any kind in which public transit district employees participate and that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with public transit district employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment of employees. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• Energy Commission: means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. See California Public Utilities Code 20
• Enterprise: means a revenue-producing improvement, building, system, plant, works, facilities, or undertaking used for or useful for the generation or production of electric energy for lighting, heating, and power for public or private uses. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• 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}
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Exclusive representative: means any recognized or certified employee organization or person it authorizes to act on its behalf. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Fund: means the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority Fund. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• 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
• Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• 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.
• 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.
• Impasse: means that the parties have reached a point in meeting and conferring at which their differences in positions are such that further meetings would be futile. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Induction period: means (1) the period beginning September 16, 1940, and ending December 6, 1941, and the period beginning January 1, 1947, and ending June 26, 1950, and (2) the period beginning on February 1, 1955, and ending on the day before the first day thereafter on which individuals (other than individuals liable for induction by reason of a prior deferment) are no longer liable for induction for training and service into the armed forces under the Universal Military Training and Service Act. See California Military and Veterans Code 890
• industrial gas: means any substance which is in a gaseous state at ambient conditions of temperature and pressure used for commercial, industrial, or scientific purposes, but does not include any gaseous hydrocarbon used for light, heat, power, or feedstock. See California Public Utilities Code 6201.3
• 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}
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• knowingly: import s only a knowledge that the facts exist which bring the act or omission within the provisions of this code. See California Penal Code 7
• 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}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• 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.
• magistrate: signifies any one of the officers mentioned in Section 808. See California Penal Code 7
• mandatory supervision: shall mean the portion of a defendant's sentenced term during which time he or she is supervised by the county probation officer pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (h) of Section 1170. See California Penal Code 19.9
• Meet and confer: means the performance of the mutual obligation of the public transit district employer and the exclusive representative of the public transit district employees to meet at reasonable times and to confer in good faith with respect to matters within the scope of representation and to endeavor to reach agreement on matters within the scope of representation. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• month: means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed. See California Penal Code 7
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• municipally owned transit system: means a transit system owned by a city, or by a district created under Part 1 (commencing with Section 24501) of Division 10 of . See California Education Code 39800
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Public Utilities Code 15
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Water Code 16
• 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.
• Offense: means any infraction, misdemeanor, or felony, and any act by a juvenile leading to an order to pay a financial sanction by reason of the act being defined as an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony, whether defined in this or any other code, except any parking offense as defined in subdivision (i). See California Penal Code 1463
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Parking offense: means any offense charged pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 40200) of Chapter 1 of Division 17 of . See California Penal Code 1463
• Participating party: means either of the following:

  California Public Utilities Code 3302

• peace officer: signify any one of the officers mentioned in Chapter 4. See California Penal Code 7
• person: means any individual, firm, partnership, private, municipal or public corporation, limited liability company, company, association, joint stock association, trustee, receiver, assignee, or other similar representative. See California Public Utilities Code 5502
• Person: means one or more individuals, organizations, associations, corporations, boards, committees, commissions, agencies, or their representatives. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Water Code 19
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• personal property: include money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. See California Penal Code 7
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• 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.
• 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.
• Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
• 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.
• Program: means a program that provides financial assistance, as provided in Article 6 (commencing with Section 3365). See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• Project: means plants, facilities, equipment, appliances, structures, expansions, and improvements within the state that serve the purposes of this division as approved by the authority, and all activities and expenses necessary to initiate and complete those projects described in Article 5 (commencing with Section 3350) and Article 7 (commencing with Section 3368), of Chapter 3. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• property: includes property real and personal. See California Civil Code 14
• property: includes both real and personal property. See California Penal Code 7
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public agency: means the state, or any county, city and county, city, municipal corporation, school district, irrigation district, water district, or other district. See California Military and Veterans Code 389
• Public agency: as used in this part , includes the State of California, and any county, city and county, city, district, or other political subdivision or public entity of, or organized under the laws of, this State. See California Public Utilities Code 30007
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Public employee: means any officer or employee of a public agency, except for those officers or employees of the state subject to the provisions of Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 19770) of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of . See California Military and Veterans Code 389
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Rapid transit: as used in this part , means the transportation of passengers only and their incidental baggage by means other than by chartered bus, sightseeing bus, taxi, or any other motor vehicle not on an individual passenger fare paying basis, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b). See California Public Utilities Code 30005
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
• Recognized military service: means service as defined in §. See California Military and Veterans Code 389
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• 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.
• 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).
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Revenues: means all receipts, purchase payments, loan repayments, lease payments, rents, fees and charges, and all other income or receipts derived by the authority from an enterprise, or by the authority or a participating party from any other financing arrangement undertaken by the authority or a participating party, including, but not limited to, all receipts from a bond purchase agreement, and any income or revenue derived from the investment of any money in any fund or account of the authority or a participating party. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• seal: includes an impression of such seal upon the paper alone, or upon any substance attached to the paper capable of receiving a visible impression. See California Penal Code 7
• 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.
• spouse: includes a registered domestic partner, as required by §. See California Civil Code 14
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Military and Veterans Code 19
• spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Penal Code 7
• State: means the State of California. See California Public Utilities Code 3302
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Public Utilities Code 10
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Supervisory employee: means any employee of a public transit district, regardless of job description, having authority in the interest of the employer to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or the responsibility to assign work to and direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively recommend such action if, in connection with these functions, the exercise of that authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• temporary military leave of absence: means a leave of absence from public employment to engage in ordered military duty for a period which by the order is not to exceed 180 calendar days including travel time for purposes of active military training, encampment, naval cruises, special exercises or like activity as a member of the reserve corps or force of the armed forces of the United States, or the National Guard, or the Naval Militia. See California Military and Veterans Code 389
• Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Total fine or forfeiture: means the total sum to be collected upon a conviction, or the total amount of bail forfeited or deposited as cash bail subject to forfeiture. See California Penal Code 1463
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• transit district employee: means any supervisory employee of any public transit district employer except for confidential employees. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• transit district employer: means the governing board of a public transit district, including any person acting as an agent of an employer. See California Public Utilities Code 99560.1
• Transit funds: as used in this part , means any funds or moneys payable to or received by the district from any California transit funds or any funds which the United States or any department, instrumentality, or agency thereof, the State of California, a county, a city, or any other public agency, or any other individual or entity, public or private, has or is authorized by any law or by official action thereunder to appropriate, contribute, grant, or loan to the district to be used for the payment of any indebtedness, including, but not limited to, any bonded indebtedness of the district in accordance with this part or any other law. See California Public Utilities Code 30703.1
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• United States: means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto. See California Water Code 20
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Veterans: means (1) any person who served in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States and was killed in action or died as a result of war service in the World War since April 6, 1917. See California Military and Veterans Code 890
• war: shall mean : (a) whenever Congress has declared war and peace has not been formally restored. See California Military and Veterans Code 18
• will: includes codicil. See California Civil Code 14
• will: includes codicil. See California Penal Code 7
• willfully: when applied to the intent with which an act is done or omitted, implies simply a purpose or willingness to commit the act, or make the omission referred to. See California Penal Code 7
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• writ: signifies an order or precept in writing, issued in the name of the people, or of a court or judicial officer, and the word "process" a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See California Penal Code 7