Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes > Chapter 620 - Dependency, Neglect, and Abuse

• Action: includes all proceedings in any court of this state. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• 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.
• 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.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Attorney: means attorney-at-law. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Case permanency plan: means a document identifying decisions made by the cabinet, for both the biological family and the child, concerning action which needs to be taken to assure that the child in foster care expeditiously obtains a permanent home. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Case plan: means an individualized accountability and behavior change strategy for supervised individuals that:
  (a) Targets and prioritizes the specific criminal risk factors of the individual based upon his or her assessment results. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Case progress report: means a written record of goals that have been achieved in the case of a child. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Directors: when applied to corporations, includes managers or trustees. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• 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:
• Domestic: when applied to a corporation, partnership, business trust, or limited liability company, means all those incorporated or formed by authority of this state. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• 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.
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Federal: refers to the United States. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• 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.
• Foster care: means the provision of temporary twenty-four (24) hour care for a child for a planned period of time when the child is:
  (a) Removed from his parents or person exercising custodial control or supervision and subsequently placed in the custody of the cabinet. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Grace period: The number of days you'll have to pay your bill for purchases in full without triggering a finance charge. ^{Source: Federal Reserve}
• 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.
• 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.
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• 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.
• Local citizen foster care review board: means a citizen board which provides periodic permanency reviews of children placed in the custody of the cabinet by a court order of temporary custody or commitment under this chapter. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Month: means calendar month. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Pediatric abusive head trauma: means the various injuries or conditions that may result following the vigorous shaking, slamming, or impacting the head of an infant or young child. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Permanence: means a relationship between a child and an adult which is intended to last a lifetime, providing commitment and continuity in the child's relationships and a sense of belonging. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Preventive services: means those services which are designed to help maintain and strengthen the family unit by preventing or eliminating the need for removal of children from the family. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Reasonable efforts: means the exercise of ordinary diligence and care by the department to utilize all preventive and reunification services available to the community in accordance with the state plan for Public Law 96-272 which are necessary to enable the child to safely live at home. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• 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).
• Reunification services: means remedial and preventive services which are designed to strengthen the family unit, to secure reunification of the family and child where appropriate, as quickly as practicable, and to prevent the future removal of the child from the family. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes territories, outlying possessions, and the District of Columbia. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• State citizen foster care review board: means a board created by KRS
  620. See Kentucky Statutes 620.020
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Sworn: includes "affirmed" in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Treatment: when used in a criminal justice context, means targeted interventions
  that focus on criminal risk factors in order to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Year: means calendar year. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010