Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 16.1 > Chapter 4.1 - District Courts

• Administrative records: shall mean all other court papers and records not otherwise defined. See Virginia Code 16.1-69.53
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• 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
• Assessment: as used in this subtitle , shall include an assessment made pursuant to notice by the Department of Taxation and self-assessments made by a taxpayer upon the filing of a return or otherwise not pursuant to notice. See Virginia Code 58.1-1820
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Board: means the Cave Board. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Case records: shall mean all documents, dockets and indices. See Virginia Code 16.1-69.53
• cave: includes or is synonymous with cavern, sinkhole, natural pit, grotto, and rock shelter. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Cave life: means any rare or endangered animal or other life form which normally occurs in, uses, visits, or inhabits any cave or subterranean water system. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
• 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.
• Coal surface mining operation: means :

  1. See Virginia Code 45.2-1000

• Commonwealth: shall include all land or interest in land within the Commonwealth owned by or conveyed to the United States of America. See Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Consumer: means the person who is the end or final user of tobacco products or liquid nicotine. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• 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.
• 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.
• Court records: shall include case records, financial records and administrative records as defined in this section. See Virginia Code 16.1-69.53
• Daily rental vehicle: means a motor vehicle used for rental as defined in this section and for the transportation of persons or property, whether on its own structure or by drawing another vehicle or vehicles, except (i) a motorcycle or a manufactured home as defined in § Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Delivery sale: means a sale of liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products to a consumer in the Commonwealth in which the consumer submits the order for the sale by telephone, over the Internet, or through the mail or another delivery system, and where the liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products are shipped through a delivery service. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Department: means the Department of Taxation. See Virginia Code 58.1-1
• Department: means the Department of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-100
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-100
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Distributor: means (i) any person engaged in the business of selling tobacco products in the Commonwealth who brings, or causes to be brought, into the Commonwealth from outside the Commonwealth any tobacco products for sale; (ii) any person who makes, manufactures, fabricates, or stores tobacco products in the Commonwealth for sale in the Commonwealth; (iii) any person engaged in the business of selling tobacco products outside the Commonwealth who ships or transports tobacco products to any person in the business of selling tobacco products in the Commonwealth; or (iv) any retail dealer in possession of untaxed tobacco products in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Division: means the Division of Mined Land Repurposing. See Virginia Code 45.2-1000
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Documents: shall mean all motions for judgment, bills of complaint, answers, bills of particulars, other pleadings, interrogatories, motions in writing, warrants, summonses, petitions, proof of service, witness summonses and subpoenas, documents received in evidence, transcripts, orders, judgments, writs, and any other similar case-related records and papers in the possession of the district courts and filed with the pleadings in the case. See Virginia Code 16.1-69.53
• 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.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• 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.
• Federal act: means the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, P. See Virginia Code 45.2-1000
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Financial records: shall mean all papers and records related to the receipt and disbursement of money by the district court. See Virginia Code 16.1-69.53
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• 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.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Gross proceeds: means the charges made or voluntary contributions received for the rental or peer-to-peer vehicle sharing of a motor vehicle where the rental, lease, or vehicle sharing platform agreement is for a period of less than 12 months. See Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• 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}
• 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.
• 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.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Liquid nicotine: means a liquid or other substance containing nicotine in a concentration that is sold, marketed, and intended for use in a nicotine vapor product. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
• Majority leader: see Floor Leaders
• Manufacturer: means a person who manufactures or produces tobacco products and sells tobacco products to a distributor. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Mistrial: An invalid trial, caused by fundamental error. When a mistrial is declared, the trial must start again from the selection of the jury.
• Mobile office: means an industrialized building unit not subject to federal regulation, which may be constructed on a chassis for the purpose of towing to the point of use and designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation, for commercial use and not for residential use; or two or more such units separately towable but designed to be joined together at the point of use to form a single commercial structure, and which may be designed for removal to, and installation or erection on, other sites. See Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• Month: means a calendar month and "year" means a calendar year. See Virginia Code 1-223
• Motor vehicle: means every vehicle, except for a mobile office as herein defined, that is self-propelled or designed for self-propulsion and every vehicle drawn by or designed to be drawn by a motor vehicle, including manufactured homes as defined in § Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• Nicotine vapor product: includes any electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe, closed system, open system, or similar product or device and any cartridge or other container of nicotine in a solution or other form, including liquid nicotine, that is intended to be used with or in an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe, or similar product or device. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Notary: means notary public. See Virginia Code 1-226
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See Virginia Code 1-228
• 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.
• Operator: means any person engaging in a coal surface mining operation whether or not such coal is sold within the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 45.2-1000
• Owner: means a person who owns title to land where a cave is located, including a person who owns title to a leasehold estate in such land, and including the Commonwealth and any of its agencies, departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, or authorities, as well as counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• 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.
• Permit: means a permit issued by the Director pursuant to state regulations. See Virginia Code 45.2-1000
• Person: means any individual, partnership, firm, association, trust, or corporation or other legal entity. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, company, business, trust, joint venture, or other legal entity. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Personal representative: includes the executor of a will or the administrator of the estate of a decedent, the administrator of such estate with the will annexed, the administrator of such estate unadministered by a former representative, whether there is a will or not, any person who is under the order of a circuit court to take into his possession the estate of a decedent for administration, and every other curator of a decedent's estate, for or against whom suits may be brought for causes of action that accrued to or against the decedent. See Virginia Code 1-234
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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.
• 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.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
• Rental: means the transfer of the possession or use of a motor vehicle, whether or not the motor vehicle is required to be licensed by the Commonwealth, by a person for a consideration, without the transfer of the ownership of such motor vehicle, for a period of less than 12 months. See Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• Rentor: means a person engaged in the rental of motor vehicles for consideration as defined in this section. See Virginia Code 58.1-1735
• Retail dealer: means every person that sells or offers for sale any tobacco product or liquid nicotine to consumers at retail in a transaction other than a remote retail sale and includes any person that holds an approved Retail Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certificate for Stamped Cigarettes Purchased for Resale or an Other Tobacco Products Distributor's License issued by the Department of Taxation. See Virginia Code 58.1-1021.01
• Secretary: means the U. See Virginia Code 45.2-1000
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Sinkhole: means a closed topographic depression or basin, generally draining underground, including, but not restricted to, a doline, uvala, blind valley, or sink. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• state agency: means the same as that term is defined in § Virginia Code 1-206
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Supreme Court: means the Supreme Court of Virginia. See Virginia Code 1-249
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
• 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.
• United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
• Use: means the exercise of any right or power over cigarettes incident to the ownership thereof or by any transaction where possession is given, except that it does not include the sale of cigarettes in the regular course of business. See Virginia Code 58.1-1000
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• wholesaler or distributor: means any person, firm or corporation who manufactures or sells at wholesale carbonated soft drinks to retail dealers for the purpose of resale only or who sells at wholesale to institutional, commercial or industrial users or who distributes such drinks to chain stores. See Virginia Code 58.1-1701
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.