Washington Code > Chapter 1.08 – Statute law committee (Code reviser)
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Terms Used In Washington Code > Chapter 1.08 - Statute law committee (Code reviser)
- Acquittal:
- Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
- A verdict of "not guilty."
- Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
- 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.
- Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Appointing authority: means the presiding officer or similar official of any court, department, board, commission, agency, licensing authority, or legislative body of the state or of any political subdivision. See Washington Code 2.42.110
- Appointing authority: means the presiding officer or similar official of any court, department, board, commission, agency, licensing authority, or legislative body of the state or of any political subdivision thereof. See Washington Code 2.43.020
- 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.
- 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.
- Bailiff: a court officer who enforces the rules of behavior in courtrooms.
- 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
- Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
- Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
- certificate procedure: shall mean the procedure authorized herein by which a federal court in disposing of a cause pending before it submits a question of local law to the supreme court for answer;
Washington Code 2.60.010Certified interpreter: means an interpreter who is certified by the administrative office of the courts. See Washington Code 2.43.020 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 incorporated city or town. See Washington Code 3.30.010 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. 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 reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request. 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. Department: means an administrative unit of a district court established for the orderly and efficient administration of business and may include, without being limited in scope thereby, a unit or units for determining traffic cases, violations of city ordinances, violations of state law, criminal cases, civil cases, or jury cases. See Washington Code 3.30.010 Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another. 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. Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial. Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings. En banc: In the bench or "full bench." Refers to court sessions with the entire membership of a court participating rather than the usual quorum. U.S. courts of appeals usually sit in panels of three judges, but may expand to a larger number in certain cases. They are then said to be sitting en banc. Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs. 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. Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state. federal court: means any court of the United States of America including the supreme court of the United States, courts of appeal, district courts and any other court created by act of congress;
Washington Code 2.60.010Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator. 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. folio: when used as a measure for computing fees or compensation, shall be construed to mean one hundred words, counting every two figures necessarily used as a word. See Washington Code 1.16.040 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 Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage, 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. Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted. Impaired person: means a person who, because of a hearing or speech impairment, cannot readily understand or communicate in spoken language; and includes persons who are deaf, deaf and blind, speech impaired, or hard of hearing. See Washington Code 2.42.110 Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury. Intermediary interpreter: means a hearing impaired interpreter who holds a reverse skills certificate by the state or is certified by the registry of interpreters for the deaf with a reverse skills certificate, who meets the requirements of RCW 2. See Washington Code 2.42.110 Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers. 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. Juror: A person who is on the jury. Legal proceeding: means a proceeding in any court in this state, grand jury hearing, or hearing before an inquiry judge, or before an administrative board, commission, agency, or licensing body of the state or any political subdivision thereof. See Washington Code 2.43.020 Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto). Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants. Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan. Oath: A promise to tell the truth. 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. opinion: shall mean the written opinion of the supreme court of Washington and shall include the certificate of the clerk of such court under seal of court stating that the opinion is in answer to the local law question submitted. See Washington Code 2.60.010 Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions. Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program. 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: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080 Personal property: All property that is not real property. Petit jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons. Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit. 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. Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way. 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. Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers. Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law. 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. Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government. Qualified interpreter: means a visual language interpreter who is certified by the state or is certified by the registry of interpreters for the deaf to hold the comprehensive skills certificate or both certificates of interpretation and transliteration, or an interpreter who can readily translate statements of speech impaired persons into spoken language. See Washington Code 2.42.110 Qualified interpreter: means a person who is able readily to interpret or translate spoken and written English for non-English-speaking persons and to interpret or translate oral or written statements of non-English-speaking persons into spoken English. See Washington Code 2.43.020 Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business. Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land. record: shall mean : (a) A stipulation of facts approved by the federal court showing the nature of the case and the circumstances out of which the question of law arises or such part of the pleadings, proceedings and testimony in the cause pending before the federal court as in its opinion is necessary to enable the supreme court to answer the question submitted; (b) a statement of the question of local law certified for answer. See Washington Code 2.60.010 Registered interpreter: means an interpreter who is registered by the administrative office of the courts. See Washington Code 2.43.020 Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant. 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). 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. 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. supplemental record: shall mean the original or copies of any other portion of the proceedings, pleadings and testimony before the federal court deemed desirable by the supreme court in the determination of the local law question certified for answer. See Washington Code 2.60.010 supreme court: shall mean supreme court of Washington;
Washington Code 2.60.010Testify: 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. Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust. Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services. Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried. Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge. Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.