Terms Used In Montana Code > Title 44 > Chapter 2 - Investigation, Communication, and Identification

• Agency: means each state office, department, division, board, commission, council, committee, institution, university system unit, or other entity or instrumentality of the executive branch, office of the judicial branch, or office of the legislative branch of state government. See Montana Code 5-13-401
• agent: means a person appointed by the attorney general to conduct criminal investigations and perform related duties within the department of justice. See Montana Code 44-2-111
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Audit services: means financial compliance post audits as required by this chapter. See Montana Code 5-13-401
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• criminal justice information network: means a telecommunications network used exclusively for the purpose of information exchange among the state's law enforcement agencies as provided in Title 44, chapter 5. See Montana Code 44-2-301
• 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.
• 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}
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Majority party: means the party with the most members in a house of the legislature, subject to subsection (2). See Montana Code 1-1-208
• Minority party: means the party with the second most members in a house of the legislature, subject to subsection (2). See Montana Code 1-1-208
• Missing child: means any person who has been reported as missing to a law enforcement authority and:

  (i)who is under 21 years of age;

  (ii)whose temporary or permanent residence is in Montana or is believed to be in Montana; and

  (iii)whose location has not been determined. See Montana Code 44-2-502

• Missing child report: means a report prepared on a form designed by the department of justice for use by private citizens and law enforcement authorities to report information about missing children to the missing children information program provided for in 44-2-503. See Montana Code 44-2-502
• Peace officer: has the meaning as defined in 46-1-202. See Montana Code 1-1-207
• Person: includes a corporation or other entity as well as a natural person. See Montana Code 1-1-201
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
• 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.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
• Writing: includes printing. See Montana Code 1-1-203