Terms Used In Oregon Statutes > Chapter 20 - Attorney Fees; Costs and Disbursements

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• agency: means an urban renewal agency created under ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• Anniversary: means February 28 if an event occurs that would otherwise cause an anniversary to fall on February 29. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• 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.
• Any other state: includes any state and the District of Columbia. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• 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
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Articles of incorporation: means the articles of incorporation described in ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• authority: means any housing authority established pursuant to the Housing Authorities Law. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• 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}
• Blighted areas: means areas that, by reason of deterioration, faulty planning, inadequate or improper facilities, deleterious land use or the existence of unsafe structures, or any combination of these factors, are detrimental to the safety, health or welfare of the community. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Board of directors: means the individual or individuals who are vested with overall management of the affairs of a domestic corporation or foreign corporation, irrespective of the name that designates the individual or individuals. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession and commercial activity. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Bylaws: means a set of provisions for managing and regulating a corporation's affairs that the corporation must adopt under ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
• Certified statement: means the statement prepared and filed pursuant to ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• City: means any incorporated city. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Class: means a group of memberships that have the same rights, including rights that are determined by a formula that is applied uniformly, with respect to voting, dissolution, redemption and transfer. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contact information: means a street address, a mailing address or an electronic address at which a member or director elects to receive notices and other messages from the corporation. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: means a domestic corporation or a foreign corporation. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• County court: includes board of county commissioners. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Credit Score: A number, roughly between 300 and 800, that measures an individual's credit worthiness. The most well-known type of credit score is the FICO score. This score represents the answer from a mathematical formula that assigns numerical values to various pieces of information in your credit report. ^{Source: OCC}
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• 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.
• Defense attorney: Represent defendants in criminal matters.
• Deliver: means to transfer by any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including delivery by hand, mail, commercial delivery and electronic transmission. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Director: means an individual who acts as a member of the board of directors, who has a right to vote on questions concerning the management and regulation of a corporation's affairs and who is:

  (a) An appointed director;

  (b) A designated director; or

  (c) A director elected by the incorporators, directors or members. See Oregon Statutes 65.001

• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Distribution: means a payment to a person from the income or assets of a corporation, other than a payment of reasonable value to a person for property received or services performed or a payment that furthers the corporation's purposes. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Distribution: means a transfer of money or other property from a partnership to a partner in the partner's capacity as a partner or to the partner's transferee. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Domestic business corporation: means a for profit corporation that is incorporated under ORS Chapter 60. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Domestic corporation: means a nonprofit corporation that is not a foreign corporation and that is incorporated under or subject to the provisions of this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Domestic limited liability company: means an unincorporated association that has one or more members and that is organized under ORS Chapter 63. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Domestic professional corporation: means a corporation that is organized under ORS Chapter 58 for the purpose of rendering professional services and for the purposes provided under ORS Chapter 58. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• 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.
• Entity: means a domestic corporation, foreign corporation, business corporation and foreign business corporation, profit and nonprofit unincorporated association, corporation sole, business trust, partnership, two or more persons that have a joint or common economic interest, any state, the United States, a federally recognized Native American or American Indian tribal government and any foreign government. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Existing urban renewal plan: means an urban renewal plan that provides for a division of ad valorem property taxes as described under ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Farm use: has the meaning given that term in ORS § 215. See Oregon Statutes 215.010
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• 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.
• Fiscal year: means the fiscal year commencing on July 1 and closing on June 30. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Foreign business corporation: means a for profit corporation that is incorporated under laws other than the laws of the state. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation that is organized under laws other than the laws of the state and that would be a nonprofit corporation if organized under the laws of the state. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Foreign limited liability company: means an unincorporated association that is organized under laws other than the laws of the state and under a statute that permits an entity to organize and that affords to each of the entity's members limited liability with respect to liabilities of the entity. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Foreign limited liability partnership: means a partnership that:

  (a) Is formed under laws other than the law of this state; and

  (b) Has the status of a limited liability partnership under those laws. See Oregon Statutes 67.005

• Foreign professional corporation: means a professional corporation that is organized under laws other than the laws of the state. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gender identity: means an individual's gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior, regardless of whether the identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that associated with the gender assigned to the individual at birth. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• 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.
• Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
• Increment: means that part of the assessed value of a taxing district attributable to any increase in the assessed value of the property located in an urban renewal area, or portion thereof, over the assessed value specified in the certified statement. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• 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.
• Individual: means a natural person, including the guardian of an incompetent individual. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
• 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.
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• 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}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• License: includes a license, certificate of registration, permit or other legal authorization required by law as a condition precedent to the rendering of professional service or services within this state. See Oregon Statutes 58.015
• Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
• Limited liability partnership: means a partnership that has registered under ORS § 67. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
• Maximum indebtedness: means the amount of the principal of indebtedness included in a plan pursuant to ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Member: means a person that is entitled, under a domestic corporation's or foreign corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws, to exercise any of the rights described in ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Membership: means the rights and obligations a member has under this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Mistrial: An invalid trial, caused by fundamental error. When a mistrial is declared, the trial must start again from the selection of the jury.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Municipality: means any county or any city in this state. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Mutual benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation that is organized to serve and operates primarily to serve the mutual interests of a group of persons, but is not a public benefit corporation or religious corporation. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• 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}
• Nonprofit corporation: means a mutual benefit corporation, a public benefit corporation or a religious corporation. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Notice: means a notice described in ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Partnership: means an association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners a business for profit created under ORS § 67. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Partnership agreement: means the agreement, whether written, oral or implied, among the partners concerning the partnership, including amendments to the partnership agreement. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Permanent rate plan: means an urban renewal plan that:

  (a) Was adopted on or after September 29, 2019; or

  (b) Was substantially amended as described in ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010

• Person: means an individual or an entity. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• plan: means a plan, as it exists or is changed or modified from time to time for one or more urban renewal areas, as provided in ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• 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:
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• 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}
• Practicing medicine: has the meaning given that term in ORS § 677. See Oregon Statutes 58.015
• Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
• Presentence report: A report prepared by a court's probation officer, after a person has been convicted of an offense, summarizing for the court the background information needed to determine the appropriate sentence. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Principal office: means the physical street address of the place, in or out of this state, where the principal executive offices of a domestic corporation or foreign corporation are located and that is designated as the principal office in the most recent annual report filed in accordance with ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• 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.
• Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
• Proceeding: means a civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory action. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Professional service: means personal service or services rendered in this state to the public which may be lawfully rendered only pursuant to a license by a professional. See Oregon Statutes 58.015
• Professional service: means the service rendered by a professional. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• project: means any work or undertaking carried out under ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Property: means all property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation that:

  (a) Is formed as a public benefit corporation under ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001

• public body: means state government bodies, local government bodies and special government bodies. See Oregon Statutes 174.109
• Public building project: means an urban renewal project that includes a public building. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• public notice: means any legal publication which requires an affidavit of publication as required in ORS § 193. See Oregon Statutes 174.104
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Reduced rate plan: means an urban renewal plan that:

  (a) Was adopted before December 6, 1996, is an existing urban renewal plan and was designated as an Option One plan under ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010

• Regulatory board: means the governmental agency of the State of Oregon required or authorized by law to license and regulate the rendering of a professional service or services for which a professional corporation is organized. See Oregon Statutes 58.015
• Religious corporation: means a domestic corporation that is formed as a religious corporation under ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• 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.
• Sentencing guidelines: A set of rules and principles established by the United States Sentencing Commission that trial judges use to determine the sentence for a convicted defendant. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• 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.
• Sexual orientation: means an individual's actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Shell entity: means an entity that has the characteristics described in ORS § 65. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Standard rate plan: means an urban renewal plan that is not a permanent rate plan or reduced rate plan. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• state government: means the executive department, the judicial department and the legislative department. See Oregon Statutes 174.111
• State Treasury: includes those financial assets the lawful custody of which are vested in the State Treasurer and the office of the State Treasurer relating to the custody of those financial assets. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Taxing district: means the state, city, county or any other unit of government that has the power to levy a tax. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• 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.
• Tract: means one or more contiguous lots or parcels under the same ownership. See Oregon Statutes 215.010
• 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.
• Transfer: includes an assignment, conveyance, lease, mortgage, deed, encumbrance, creation of a security interest and any other disposition. See Oregon Statutes 67.005
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• True bill: Another word for indictment.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Urban renewal area: means a blighted area included in an urban renewal plan or an area included in an urban renewal plan under ORS § 457. See Oregon Statutes 457.010
• 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.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Violate: includes failure to comply. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Voting power: means the total number of votes entitled to be cast on an issue at the time the determination of voting power is made, excluding a vote that is contingent upon a condition or event occurring that has not occurred at the time. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Written: means embodied as a document. See Oregon Statutes 65.001