Terms Used In California Codes > Health and Safety Code > Division 10 > Chapter 6 - Offenses and Penalties

• Abstract of judgment: In a federal criminal proceeding, A certification from a U.S. District Court clerk that a judgment of restitution was entered against the defendant owing to the victim. If the defendant inherits, owns, or sells real property or holdings, these assets can then be attached at the state and local levels as well.
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Adoption date: means the date the governing body adopts the plan of conversion. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• alien insurer: means a foreign insurer organized under the laws of any jurisdiction other than a State of the United States. See California Insurance Code 1580
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• 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.
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of 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}
• Bonded indebtedness: includes any financial encumbrance, including, but not limited to, bonds, lease revenue bonds, certificates of participation, mortgages, liens, or loans, on a building. See California Government Code 70301
• Building: means a single structure or connected structures. See California Government Code 70301
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Commissioner: means the Insurance Commissioner of this State. See California Insurance Code 20
• 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.
• Converted insurer: means the incorporated stock insurer into which a domestic reciprocal insurer has been converted in accordance with the provisions of this article. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Converting insurer: means , for a plan of conversion under this article, the domestic reciprocal insurer that is converting under the plan. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• council: means the Bay Area Air Quality Management Advisory Council. See California Health and Safety Code 40260
• County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Insurance Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Court facilities: consist of all of the following:

  California Government Code 70301

• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Domestic: means organized under the laws of this State, whether or not admitted. See California Insurance Code 26
• Effective date: means the date upon which the conversion of a domestic reciprocal insurer is effective, as specified in the amended articles of incorporation of the reciprocal holding company filed with the Secretary of State, as a result of conversion proceedings under this article. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Electronic funds transfer: means any transfer of funds, other than a transaction originated by check, draft, or similar paper instrument, that is initiated through an electronic terminal, telephonic instrument, or computer or magnetic tape, so as to order, instruct, or authorize a financial institution to debit or credit an account. See California Insurance Code 45
• Eligible subscribers: means the subscribers of the domestic reciprocal insurer who are of record, fully paid-up, and otherwise in good standing on the domestic reciprocal insurer's adoption date and on its effective date, but shall not include those persons covered solely under a reporting endorsement to a claims-made policy on either date. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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}
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• Foreign: means not organized under the laws of this State, whether or not admitted. See California Insurance Code 27
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governing body: means the body exercising subscribers' rights selected pursuant to Section 1308 for the domestic reciprocal insurer. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• 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.
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• 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}
• isomer: includes optical and geometrical (diastereomeric) isomers. See California Health and Safety Code 11033
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• library districts: as used in this chapter mean "union high school library district. See California Education Code 18301
• library trustees: as used in this chapter mean the regularly elected union high school trustees who reside within the library district. See California Education Code 18300
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Maintenance: means the ongoing upkeep of buildings, equipment, grounds, and utilities required to keep a building and its systems in a condition adequate to support its designed level of service. See California Government Code 70301
• Mortgage: includes a trust deed, "mortgagor" includes a trustor under such trust deed, "mortgagee" includes a beneficiary under such trust deed, or a trustee exercising powers or performing duties granted to or imposed upon him thereunder, and "lien" in respect to real or personal property includes a charge or incumbrance arising out of a trust deed. See California Insurance Code 29
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Insurance Code 17
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, association, corporation, joint-stock company, limited liability company, trust, government or governmental agency, state or political subdivision of a state, public or private corporation, board, association, estate, trustee, or fiduciary, or any similar entity. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Person: means any person, association, organization, partnership, business trust, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Insurance Code 19
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Person: includes any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, limited liability company, syndicate, estate, trust, business trust, or organization of any kind. See California Financial Code 18
• plan: means a plan adopted by a domestic reciprocal insurer in compliance with this article. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• 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.
• Plea agreement: An arrangement between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for special considerations. ^Source:
• Policy: means an individual or group policy of insurance issued by a domestic reciprocal insurer. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Policyholder: means the holder of a policy other than a reinsurance contract or a person covered solely under a reporting endorsement to a claims-made policy. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• 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}
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• 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.
• Reciprocal holding company: means a corporation organized under the laws of this state subject to the General Corporation Law as set forth in the Corporations Code. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• 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.
• Rights in surplus: includes rights of subscribers to a distribution of surplus in liquidation or conservation of the insurer under this code, or in a dissolution or winding up. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• 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.
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Insurance Code 28
• State: includes the District of Columbia and the territories when applied to the different parts of the United States, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Stock holding company: means a corporation authorized to issue one or more classes of capital stock, the corporate purposes of which include holding all of the voting stock in an insurer that has been converted from a domestic reciprocal insurer into a stock insurer in proceedings under this article in which a reciprocal holding company is formed. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Subscriber: means a person who, by the records of the domestic reciprocal insurer and its rules and regulations, is deemed to be a holder of a subscriber's interest in the domestic reciprocal insurer. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• subscription: includes mark when the signer or subscriber can not write, such signer's or subscriber's name being written near the mark by a witness who writes his own name near the signer's or subscriber's name. See California Insurance Code 18
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Surplus deposits of subscribers: as used in this chapter , means amounts, over and above any premium charges, which are contributed by subscribers and which are used for the purpose of funding the surplus of a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange. See California Insurance Code 1374.1
• 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.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Voting stock: means securities of any class or any ownership interest having voting power for the election of directors, trustees, or management of a person, other than securities having voting power only because of the occurrence of a contingency. See California Insurance Code 1560.02
• Will: includes codicil. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writing: includes printing and typewriting. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17