Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 947 - Florida Commission On Offender Review; Conditional Release; Control Release; Parole

• 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.
• 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
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Authority: means the Control Release Authority. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• 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.
• Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Commission: means the Florida Commission on Offender Review. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Corrections. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Effective parole release date: means the actual parole release date as determined by the presumptive parole release date, satisfactory institutional conduct, and an acceptable parole plan. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• 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.
• Presumptive parole release date: means the tentative parole release date as determined by objective parole guidelines. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• 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.
• Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
• Provisional release date: means the date projected for the prisoner's release from custody as determined pursuant to ¹s. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Qualified practitioner: means a social worker, a mental health counselor, or a marriage and family therapist licensed under chapter 491 who, as determined by rule of the respective board, has the coursework, training, qualifications, and experience to evaluate and treat sexual offenders; a psychiatrist licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459; or a psychologist licensed under chapter 490. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• 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.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Risk assessment: means an assessment completed by an independent qualified practitioner to evaluate the level of risk associated when a sex offender has contact with a child. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• Safety plan: means a written document prepared by the qualified practitioner, in collaboration with the sex offender, the child's parent or legal guardian, and, when appropriate, the child, which establishes clear roles and responsibilities for each individual involved in any contact between the child and the sex offender. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Corrections. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Tentative release date: means the date projected for the prisoner's release from custody by virtue of gain-time granted or forfeited pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 947.005
• 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.
• Victim Impact Statement: A written or spoken statement by the victim or his or her representative about the physical, emotional, and financial impact of a crime on the victim. The statement is given to the court before sentencing.
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01