Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 15 > Part 1 > Chapter 17 - Miscellaneous Provisions

• Civil forfeiture: The loss of ownership of property used to conduct illegal activity.
• 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.
• 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.
• Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
• Education: means the process of imparting knowledge or skill through systematic instruction, but not necessarily formal classroom instruction. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Sec. 2101
• Fire department: means a municipal fire department, as defined in Title 30?A, section 3151, subsection 1, or a volunteer fire association, as defined in Title 30?A, section 3151, subsection 3. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Sec. 2101
• Firefighter: means a municipal firefighter, as defined in Title 30?A, section 3151, subsection 2, or a volunteer firefighter, as defined in Title 30?A, section 3151, subsection 4. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 26 Sec. 2101
• Jury instructions: A judge's directions to the jury before it begins deliberations regarding the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules that it must apply. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Month: means a calendar month. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• 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.
• 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.
• Railroad: includes every commercial, interurban and other railway and each and every branch and extension thereof by whatsoever power operated, together with all tracks, bridges, trestles, rights-of-way, subways, tunnels, stations, depots, union depots, ferries, yards, grounds, terminals, terminal facilities, structures and equipment and all other real estate, fixtures and personal property of every kind used in connection therewith, owned, controlled, operated or managed for public use in the transportation of persons or property. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 23 Sec. 5001
• 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).
• State paper: means the newspaper designated by the Legislature, in which advertisements and notices are required to be published. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.