Terms Used In Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 20A - Grand Jury Proceedings

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bailiff: a court officer who enforces the rules of behavior in courtrooms.
• 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.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• General-law municipality: means a municipality designated by Chapter 5 as a Type A general-law municipality, Type B general-law municipality, or Type C general-law municipality. See Texas Local Government Code 1.005
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Home-rule municipality: means a municipality designated by Chapter 5 as a home-rule municipality. See Texas Local Government Code 1.005
• 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.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Municipality: means a general-law municipality, home-rule municipality, or special-law municipality. See Texas Local Government Code 1.005
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Swear: includes affirm. See Texas Government Code 311.005
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Week: means seven consecutive days. See Texas Government Code 311.005