Terms Used In Michigan Laws > Chapter 752 > Act 319 of 2014 - Sexual Assault Victim's Access to Justice Act

• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• 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.
• Forensic laboratory: means a DNA laboratory that has received formal recognition that it meets or exceeds a list of standards, including the FBI director's quality assurance standards, to perform specific tests, established by a nonprofit professional association of persons actively involved in forensic science that is nationally recognized within the forensic community in accordance with the provisions of the federal DNA identification act, 42 USC 14132, or subsequent laws. See Michigan Laws 752.952
• in writing: shall be construed to include printing, engraving, and lithographing; except that if the written signature of a person is required by law, the signature shall be the proper handwriting of the person or, if the person is unable to write, the person's proper mark, which may be, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law, a clear and classifiable fingerprint of the person made with ink or another substance. See Michigan Laws 8.3q
• Investigating law enforcement agency: means the local, county, or state law enforcement agency with the primary responsibility for investigating an alleged sexual assault offense case and includes the employees of that agency. See Michigan Laws 752.952
• Law enforcement agency: means the local, county, or state law enforcement agency and includes the employees of that agency. See Michigan Laws 752.952
• person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
• Sexual assault evidence kit: means that term as defined in section 21527 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333. See Michigan Laws 752.952
• Sexual assault offense: means a violation or attempted violation of section 520b to 520g of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750. See Michigan Laws 752.952
• Sexual assault victim: means an individual subjected to a sexual assault offense and, for the purposes of making communications and receiving notices under this act, a person designated by the sexual assault victim under section 4. See Michigan Laws 752.952
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o