Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes > Chapter 161 > ACQUISITIONS; DUTIES AND POWERS

• Adult: means an individual 18 years of age or older. See Minnesota Statutes 645.451
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Chair: includes chairman, chairwoman, and chairperson. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• children: includes children by birth or adoption;

  (9) "day" comprises the time from midnight to the next midnight;

  (10) "fiscal year" means the year by or for which accounts are reckoned;

  (11) "hereafter" means a reference to the time after the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

  (12) "heretofore" means a reference to the time previous to the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

  (13) "judicial sale" means a sale conducted by an officer or person authorized for the purpose by some competent tribunal;

  (14) "minor" means an individual under the age of 18 years;

  (15) "money" means lawful money of the United States;

  (16) "night time" means the time from sunset to sunrise;

  (17) "non compos mentis" refers to an individual of unsound mind;

  (18) "notary" means a notary public;

  (19) "now" in any provision of a law referring to other laws in force, or to persons in office, or to any facts or circumstances as existing, relates to the laws in force, or to the persons in office, or to the facts or circumstances existing, respectively, on the effective date of such provision;

  (20) "verified" when used in reference to writings, means supported by oath or affirmation. See Minnesota Statutes 645.45

• Commissioner: means the commissioner of human services unless otherwise indicated in this chapter. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• court administrator: means the court administrator of the court in which the action or proceeding is pending, and "court administrator's office" means that court administrator's office. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• 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}
• 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.
• Facility: means :

  (1) a licensed or unlicensed day care facility, certified license-exempt child care center, residential facility, agency, hospital, sanitarium, or other facility or institution required to be licensed under sections 144. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03

• Family assessment: means a comprehensive assessment of child safety, risk of subsequent maltreatment, and family strengths and needs that is applied to a maltreatment report that does not allege sexual abuse or substantial child endangerment. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• 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.
• Immediately: means as soon as possible but in no event longer than 24 hours. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• Investigation: means fact gathering conducted during:

  (1) a family investigation related to the current safety of a child and the risk of subsequent maltreatment that determines whether maltreatment occurred and whether child protective services are needed; or

  (2) a facility investigation related to duties under section 260E. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03

• 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.
• 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}
• Maltreatment: means any of the following acts or omissions:

  (1) egregious harm under subdivision 5;

  (2) neglect under subdivision 15;

  (3) physical abuse under subdivision 18;

  (4) sexual abuse under subdivision 20;

  (5) substantial child endangerment under subdivision 22;

  (6) threatened injury under subdivision 23;

  (7) mental injury under subdivision 13; and

  (8) maltreatment of a child in a facility. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03

• Minor: means an individual under the age of 18. See Minnesota Statutes 645.451
• Neglect: means the commission or omission of any of the acts specified under clauses (1) to (8), other than by accidental means:

  (1) failure by a person responsible for a child's care to supply a child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, health, medical, or other care required for the child's physical or mental health when reasonably able to do so;

  (2) failure to protect a child from conditions or actions that seriously endanger the child's physical or mental health when reasonably able to do so, including a growth delay, which may be referred to as a failure to thrive, that has been diagnosed by a physician and is due to parental neglect;

  (3) failure to provide for necessary supervision or child care arrangements appropriate for a child after considering factors as the child's age, mental ability, physical condition, length of absence, or environment, when the child is unable to care for the child's own basic needs or safety, or the basic needs or safety of another child in their care;

  (4) failure to ensure that the child is educated as defined in sections 120A. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03

• Noncaregiver sex trafficker: means an individual who is alleged to have engaged in the act of sex trafficking a child and who is not a person responsible for the child's care, who does not have a significant relationship with the child as defined in section 609. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• Noncaregiver sex trafficking assessment: is a comprehensive assessment of child safety, the risk of subsequent child maltreatment, and strengths and needs of the child and family. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• Person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Report: means any communication received by the local welfare agency, police department, county sheriff, or agency responsible for child protection pursuant to this section that describes maltreatment of a child and contains sufficient content to identify the child and any person believed to be responsible for the maltreatment, if known. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• 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).
• Sexual abuse: means the subjection of a child by a person responsible for the child's care, by a person who has a significant relationship to the child, or by a person in a current or recent position of authority, to any act that constitutes a violation of section 609. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• Significant relationship: means a situation in which the alleged offender is:

  (1) the child's parent, stepparent, or guardian;

  (2) any of the following persons related to the child by blood, marriage, or adoption: brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, first cousin, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, grandparent, great-grandparent, great-uncle, great-aunt; or

  (3) an adult who jointly resides intermittently or regularly in the same dwelling as the child and who is not the child's spouse. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03

• state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Substantial child endangerment: means that a person responsible for a child's care, by act or omission, commits or attempts to commit an act against a child in the person's care that constitutes any of the following:

  (1) egregious harm under subdivision 5;

  (2) abandonment under section 260C. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03

• Threatened injury: means a statement, overt act, condition, or status that represents a substantial risk of physical or sexual abuse or mental injury. See Minnesota Statutes 260E.03
• verified: when used in reference to writings, means supported by oath or affirmation. See Minnesota Statutes 645.45