Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 1 > Article 1 - Limits and Jurisdiction

• Authority: means the West Virginia Military Authority. See West Virginia Code 15-1J-3
• BRIM: means the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management. See West Virginia Code 15-1J-3
• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Employee: means any person who, within the at-will employment relationship, is hired to perform duties related to national security, homeland security and other military-related or -sponsored programs. See West Virginia Code 15-1J-3
• Guard: means West Virginia National Guard, including its army and air components. See West Virginia Code 15-1J-3
• 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.
• Nonappropriated fund instrumentality: means an enterprise operated exclusively with funds derived from sales or user fees, which receives no legislative appropriations for its operations. See West Virginia Code 15-1H-1
• PEIA: means Public Employees Insurance Act. See West Virginia Code 15-1J-3
• PERS: means Public Employees Retirement System. See West Virginia Code 15-1J-3
• 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.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• 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.