Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 14 > Chapter 17 > Article 5 - Books, Papers, and Records

• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• clerk: as used in this title , signifies the clerk of the court where the action is pending and, in the Supreme Court or court of appeals, the clerk of the county mentioned in the title of the complaint or in another county to which the court may have changed the place of trial, unless otherwise specified. See South Carolina Code 14-1-40
• 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.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Dower: A widow
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• 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.
• Law enforcement agency: means any state, county, municipal, or local law enforcement authority that enters into an agreement for the procurement of law enforcement support services. See South Carolina Code 23-20-20
• Law enforcement provider: means any in-state or out-of-state law enforcement authority that provides law enforcement services to a law enforcement agency pursuant to this chapter. See South Carolina Code 23-20-20
• Law enforcement services: means any law enforcement assistance or service performed by a certified law enforcement officer. See South Carolina Code 23-20-20
• Mutual aid agreement: means any agreement entered into on behalf of a law enforcement agency in this State for the purpose of providing the proper and prudent exercise of public safety functions across jurisdictional lines, including, but not limited to, multijurisdictional task forces, criminal investigations, patrol services, crowd control, traffic control and safety, and other emergency service situations. See South Carolina Code 23-20-20
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• real estate: as used in this Title , are coextensive with lands, tenements and hereditaments. See South Carolina Code 14-1-20
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• 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.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.