Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 34 > Chapter 1 - Guardianships and Conservatorships Generally

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Actuarial equivalent: means a benefit of equal value when computed at regular interest upon the basis of the mortality tables last adopted for such purpose by the board of trustees. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Adversary counsel: means a private lawyer hired by a respondent to represent the respondent's interest in any action under this chapter and chapters 2 and 3 of this title. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Agriculture: means :
  (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Air contaminant: means particulate matter, dust, fumes, gas, mist, smoke, or vapor, or any combinations thereof. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Air contaminant source: means any and all sources of emission of air contaminants, whether privately or publicly owned or operated. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Air pollution: means presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one (1) or more air contaminants in sufficient quantities and of such characteristics and duration as to be injurious to human, plant or animal life or to property, or which unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life and property. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• 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.
• Atomic energy: means all forms of energy released in the course of nuclear fission or nuclear transformation. See Tennessee Code 68-202-101
• Attorney ad litem: means an attorney appointed by the court to act as counsel for the respondent. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• board: means the board provided for in part 3 of this chapter. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Board: means the air pollution control board. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• By-product material: means any radioactive materials, except special nuclear materials, yielded in or made radioactive by exposure to the radiation incident to the process of producing or utilizing special nuclear materials. See Tennessee Code 68-202-101
• closest relatives: means the person or persons who are in the level of intestate heirs nearest to the respondent under the Tennessee laws of intestate succession. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• co-conservators: means a person or persons or an entity appointed by the court to exercise the decision-making rights and duties of the person with a disability in one or more areas in which the person lacks capacity as determined and required by the orders of the court. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• coguardian: means a person or persons appointed by the court to provide partial or full supervision, protection and assistance of the person or property, or both, of a minor. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation or the commissioner's duly authorized representative or, in the event of such person's absence or a vacancy in the office of commissioner, the deputy commissioner. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation or the commissioner's designated representative. See Tennessee Code 68-202-202
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conservatorship: is a proceeding in which a court removes the decision-making powers and duties, in whole or in part, in a least restrictive manner, from a person with a disability who lacks capacity to make decisions in one or more important areas and places responsibility for one or more of those decisions in a conservator or co-conservators. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporate surety: means a corporation admitted to do business in the state and licensed under title 56, chapter 2. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Court: means any court having jurisdiction to hear matters concerning guardians or conservators. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Department: means the department of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Department: refers to the department of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 68-202-202
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiduciary: means a guardian, coguardian, conservator, co-conservator, or qualified trustee as defined in §. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Financial institution: means a bank as defined by §. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
• 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.
• Guardian ad litem: means a person meeting the qualifications set forth in §. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• 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.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• 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.
• Least restrictive alternatives: means techniques and processes that preserve as many decision-making rights as practical under the particular circumstances for the person with a disability. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Member: means any person included in the membership of the retirement system, as provided in chapter 35, part 1 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age and who has not otherwise been emancipated. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means any individual, nonhuman entity or governmental agency. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Person: means any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, estate, political subdivision, an agency, authority, commission or department of the United States government or of the state of Tennessee government, or any other legal entity, or their legal representative, agent, or assigns. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Person with a disability: means any person eighteen (18) years of age or older determined by the court to be in need of partial or full supervision, protection, and assistance by reason of mental illness, physical illness or injury, developmental disability, or other mental or physical incapacity. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Personal representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Physician: means a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine who is licensed to practice medicine in this state. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Political subdivision: means any municipality, city, incorporated town, county, district or authority, or any portion or combination of two (2) or more thereof. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• 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.
• Production facility: means :
  (A) Any equipment or device capable of the production of special nuclear material in such quantity as to be of significance to the common defense and security, or in such manner as to affect the health and safety of the public. See Tennessee Code 68-202-101
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Property management plan: means the plan submitted by the fiduciary for the investment and management of the property of a minor or person with a disability. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Psychologist: means a psychologist who is licensed to practice in this state. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Public debt: Cumulative amounts borrowed by the Treasury Department or the Federal Financing Bank from the public or from another fund or account. The public debt does not include agency debt (amounts borrowed by other agencies of the Federal Government). The total public debt is subject to a statutory limit.
• public vote: means a vote in which the "aye" faction vocally expresses its will in unison and in which the "nay" faction, subsequently, vocally expresses its will in unison. See Tennessee Code 8-44-104
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Radiation: means gamma rays and X-rays, alpha and beta particles, high-speed electrons, neutrons, protons, and other nuclear particles, but not sound or radio waves or visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light. See Tennessee Code 68-202-101
• Radiation: includes all ionizing electromagnetic waves and corpuscular emissions such as, but not necessarily limited to, gamma rays and X-rays. See Tennessee Code 68-202-202
• Radioactive material: refers to any material, solid, liquid, or gas, which emits radiation spontaneously. See Tennessee Code 68-202-202
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Regulations: means the standards, policies, rules and regulations promulgated by the board to attain and maintain ambient air quality standards within the intent and purpose of this part. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• 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).
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Respondent: means a person who is a minor or is alleged to be a person with a disability for whom a fiduciary is being sought. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
• Retirement: means withdrawal from membership with a retirement allowance granted under chapters 34-37 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Retirement allowance: means the sum of the member annuity and the state annuity. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Savings and loan association: includes a building and loan association, a federal or state savings and loan association, a federal savings bank, and any other financial institution, the accounts of which are insured by the [former] federal savings and loan insurance corporation (FSLIC) or any successor [repealed] of such corporation. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Service: means service as a general employee, a teacher, a state police officer, a wildlife officer, a firefighter, a police officer, a state judge, a county judge, an attorney general, a commissioner or a county official which is paid for by an employer, and also includes service for which a former member of the general assembly is entitled to under former §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Special nuclear material: means :
  (A) Plutonium and uranium enriched in the isotope 233 or in the isotope 235, and any other material which the governor declares by order to be special nuclear material after the United States atomic energy commission has determined the material to be such. See Tennessee Code 68-202-101
• Special nuclear material: means uranium enriched in the isotope U-235 in quantities not exceeding three hundred fifty (350) grams of contained U-235, U-233 in quantities not exceeding two hundred (200) grams, plutonium in quantities not exceeding two hundred (200) grams. See Tennessee Code 68-202-202
• State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Technical secretary: means the technical secretary of the air pollution control board. See Tennessee Code 68-201-102
• Testator: A male person who leaves a will at death.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• 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.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Utilization facility: means :
  (A) Any equipment or device, except an atomic weapon, capable of making use of special nuclear materials in such quantity as to be of significance to the common defense and security, or in such manner as to affect the health and safety of the public, or peculiarly adapted for making use of atomic energy in such quantity as to be of significance to the common defense and security, or in such manner as to affect the health and safety of the public. See Tennessee Code 68-202-101
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105