Terms Used In Maryland Code > PUBLIC SAFETY > Title 13A > Subtitle 7 - Trial Procedure

• 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.
• assault: means assault in any degree unless a specific degree of assault is specified. See
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Commanding officer: includes :
  
  (1) commissioned officers of the state military forces; and
  
  (2) officers in charge only when administering non-judicial punishment under § 13A-301 of this code. See
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Convening authority: includes :
  
  (1) the person who convened the court; and
  
  (2) (i) a commissioned officer commanding for the time being; or
  
  (ii) a successor in command to the convening authority. See
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• 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.
• including: means includes or including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. See
• Judge advocate: means a commissioned officer of the organized state military forces who is a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state:
  
  (1) (i) certified or designated as a judge advocate in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the Army, Air Force, Navy, or the Marine Corps or designated as a law specialist as an officer of the Coast Guard, or a reserve component of one of these; or
  
  (ii) certified as a non-federally recognized judge advocate, under regulations adopted pursuant to this provision, by the senior judge advocate of the commander of the force in the state military forces of which the accused is a member, as competent to perform such military justice duties required by this code; or
  
  (2) if no judge advocate certified under item (1) of this subsection is available, certified by a senior judge advocate of the commander of another force in the state military forces, as the convening authority directs. See
• 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.
• Military court: means :
  
  (1) a court-martial; or
  
  (2) a court of inquiry. See
• Military judge: means an official of a general or special court-martial detailed in accordance with § 13A-505 of this title. See
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Officer: means a commissioned or warrant officer. See
• Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
• 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.
• Plea agreement: An arrangement between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for special considerations. ^Source:
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Record: when used in connection with the proceedings of a court-martial, means:
  
  (1) an official written transcript, written summary, or other writing relating to the proceedings; or
  
  (2) an official audiotape, videotape, digital image or file, or similar material from which sound, or sound and visual images depicting the proceedings, may be reproduced. See
• 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: means :
  
  (1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or
  
  (2) the District of Columbia. See
• State military forces: means the National Guard of the State, as defined in title 32 of the United States Code, when not in a status subjecting them to exclusive jurisdiction under 10 U. See
• 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.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• 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.
• Voice vote: A vote in which the Presiding Officer states the question, then asks those in favor and against to say "Yea" or "Nay," respectively, and announces the result according to his or her judgment. The names or numbers of legisators voting on each side are not recorded.