Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 3 > Division 3 > Chapter 1 > Article 1 - General

• Action: includes a civil action and a criminal action. See California Evidence Code 105
• Administrative officer: means the chief administrative officer, county administrator, county executive, county manager, or other officials employed in the several counties under various titles whose duties and responsibilities are comparable to the officials named herein. See California Government Code 29001
• Adopted budget: means the budget document formally approved by the board of supervisors after the required public hearings and deliberations on the recommended budget. See California Government Code 29001
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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.
• Auditor: means the county auditor or that officer whose responsibilities include those designated in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 26900) of Division 2. See California Government Code 29001
• 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 board of supervisors of the county, or the same body acting as the governing board of a special district whose affairs and finances are under its supervision and control. See California Government Code 29001
• Budget year: means the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) for which the budget is being prepared. See California Government Code 29001
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• commission: means a county transportation commission created pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 130050). See California Public Utilities Code 130002
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conduct: includes all active and passive behavior, both verbal and nonverbal. See California Evidence Code 125
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Controller: means the State Controller. See California Government Code 29001
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes city and county. See California Public Utilities Code 18
• Criminal action: includes criminal proceedings. See California Evidence Code 130
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the Department of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 32
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• 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.
• Evidence: means testimony, writings, material objects, or other things presented to the senses that are offered to prove the existence or nonexistence of a fact. See California Evidence Code 140
• Fiscal year: means the current 12-month period to which the annual operating budget applies and at the end of which a government determines its financial position and the results of its operations. See California Government Code 29001
• 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.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• hearing: means the hearing at which a question under this code arises, and not some earlier or later hearing. See California Evidence Code 145
• 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.
• Law: includes constitutional, statutory, and decisional law. See California Evidence Code 160
• 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.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• 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.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Person: includes a natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or public entity. See California Evidence Code 175
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
• 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.
• Public entity: includes a nation, state, county, city and county, city, district, public authority, public agency, or any other political subdivision or public corporation, whether foreign or domestic. See California Evidence Code 200
• Recommended budget: means the budget document recommended to the board of supervisors by the designated county official. See California Government Code 29001
• 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).
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 35
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Public Utilities Code 17
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Evidence Code 220
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Public Utilities Code 10
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.