Terms Used In Maryland Code > STATE GOVERNMENT > Title 12 - Immunity and Liability

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• certified mail: includes "registered mail"; and
  
  (3) "registered mail" includes "certified mail". See
• Chargeable person: means :
  
  (1) Any responsible relative;
  
  (2) Except for a recipient of services, any other person who is legally responsible for the care of the individual; and
  
  (3) Any person who maintains a policy of health insurance under which a recipient of services is insured. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the 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.
• Cost of care: includes the cost of:
  
  (i) An evaluation of an individual required under the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Law; and
  
  (ii) Any juvenile screening or treatment service provided to an individual under § 9-227(b)(1)(ii) of the Human Services Article. See
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• County: means a county of the State or Baltimore City. See
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• 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.
• Goods: means all things that are movable at the time of identification to the lease contract, or are fixtures (§ 2A-309), but the term does not include money, documents, instruments, accounts, chattel paper, general intangibles, or minerals or the like, including oil and gas, before extraction. See
• 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.
• Lease: means a transfer of the right to possession and use of goods for a term in return for consideration, but a sale, including a sale on approval or a sale or return, or retention or creation of a security interest is not a lease. See
• 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}
• Lease contract: means the total legal obligation that results from the lease agreement as affected by this title and any other applicable rules of law. See
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Local department of social services: includes the Montgomery County government. See
• 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: 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.
• 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.
• Recipient of services: includes :
  
  (i) An individual in a public facility under the Maryland Mental Health Law;
  
  (ii) An individual in a facility for an evaluation required under the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Law;
  
  (iii) An individual in a residential, public facility or a facility from which this State obtains residential care under the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Law;
  
  (iv) An individual to whom juvenile screening or treatment services are provided under § 9-227(b)(1)(ii) of the Human Services Article; and
  
  (v) An individual in a private therapeutic group home from which this State obtains residential care under the Maryland Mental Health Law. See
• Responsible relative: means :
  
  (1) The spouse of a recipient of services; and
  
  (2) The parents of a recipient of services who is a minor. See
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.