Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 15-15.1 - The Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act

• 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.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• 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.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Court: means the family court. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• 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.
• Foreign protection order: means a protection order issued by a tribunal of another state. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Issuing state: means the state whose tribunal issues a protection order. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• 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.
• Mutual foreign protection order: means a foreign protection order that includes provisions in favor of both the protected individual seeking enforcement of the order and the respondent. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Protected individual: means an individual protected by a protection order. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• Protection order: means an injunction or other order, issued by a tribunal under the domestic-violence, family-violence, or anti-stalking laws of the issuing state, to prevent an individual from engaging in violent or threatening acts against, harassment of, contact or communication with, or physical proximity to, another individual. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• Respondent: means the individual against whom enforcement of protection order is sought. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• Tribunal: means a court, agency, or other entity authorized by law to issue or modify a protection order. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-15.1-2
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8