Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes > Title 13 > Chapter 7 > Part II - New Orleans City Courts

• 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.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• 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
• Balanced treatment: means providing whatever information and instruction in both creation and evolution models the classroom teacher determines is necessary and appropriate to provide insight into both theories in view of the textbooks and other instructional materials available for use in his classroom. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:286.3
• Ballot: means a paper ballot or electronic ballot, where applicable. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:1302
• Board: means the parish board of election supervisors of each parish. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:1302
• Clerk: means the clerk of court of each parish, except that in a parish having both a civil and a criminal sheriff, the word refers to the civil sheriff. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:1302
• 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.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Council: means the Quality Science and Mathematics Council. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:372
• 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.
• Creation-science: means the scientific evidences for creation and inferences from those scientific evidences. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:286.3
• Cross examine: Questioning of a witness by the attorney for the other side.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• disciplinary action: shall include only suspension without pay, reduction in pay, or involuntary demotion or dismissal. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:441
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Early voting: means the period of time prior to any scheduled election when any person who is qualified to vote may vote in person at a place designated by the registrar as provided in La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:1302
• 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.
• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• 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}
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Political subdivision: means a parish, municipality, and any other unit of local government, including a school board and a special district, authorized by law to perform governmental functions. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:581
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Program: means the Quality Science and Mathematics Program. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:372
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Registrar: means the registrar of voters of each parish. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:1302
• 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).
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Risk is imminent: means that the available facts, when viewed in light of surrounding circumstances, would cause a reasonable person to believe that the event stated in the threat is about to happen. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:409.2
• school bus operator: means any employee of any city, parish, or other local public school board whose duty it is to transport students in any board school bus or activity bus to and from any school of suitable grade approved by the state Department of Education or to and from any school-related activity. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:491
• 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.
• Student: means any person registered or enrolled at a school. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:409.2
• Teacher: means :

              (a) Any employee of a local public school board, state special school, or a school or program administered by the special school district who holds a teacher's certificate and whose legal employment requires such teacher's certificate. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:441

• Teacher: means any employee of a parish or city school board who holds a teacher's certificate and whose legal employment requires such teacher's certificate. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:372
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Threat is credible: means that the available facts, when viewed in light of surrounding circumstances, would cause a reasonable person to believe that the person communicating the threat actually intends to carry out the threat. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:409.2
• Threat of terrorism: means communication, whether oral, visual, or written, including but not limited to electronic mail, letters, notes, social media posts, text messages, blogs, or posts on any social networking website, of any crime of violence that would reasonably cause any student, teacher, principal, or school employee to be in sustained fear for his safety, cause the evacuation of a building, or cause other serious disruption to the operation of a school. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:409.2
• Threat of violence: means communication, whether oral, visual, or written, including but not limited to electronic mail, letters, notes, social media posts, text messages, blogs, or posts on any social networking website, of any intent to kill, maim, or cause great bodily harm to a student, teacher, principal, or school employee on school property or at any school function. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:409.2
• 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 Service: means the following persons, and their spouses and dependents:

              (a) A member of the armed forces while in active service. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 18:1302