Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 2 > Chapter 20 - Nonjudicial Screening and Election

• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
• 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.
• Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
• Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Joint session: When both chambers of a legislature adopt a concurrent resolution to meet together.
• municipality: shall mean an incorporated city or town, irrespective of its population;
  
  (2) The term "municipal council" shall mean the governing body of any incorporated city or town;
  
  (3) The term "corporate purpose" shall denote any public purpose, necessary or convenient to the welfare of the municipality and shall include the funding of existing indebtedness, evidenced otherwise than by bonds of the municipality; and
  
  (4) The word "commissioners" shall mean the commissioners of public works or the board of public works or other body established by law and given the power of operating any waterworks system, electric light system, sewage system or other municipal utility. See South Carolina Code 5-21-220
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• 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.