Wisconsin Statutes > Chapter 7 > Subchapter I – Selection and Duties
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Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes > Chapter 7 > Subchapter I - Selection and Duties
- Acquire: when used in connection with a grant of power to any person, includes the acquisition by purchase, grant, gift or bequest. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
- Adult: means a person who has attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated any state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "adult" means a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- 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.
- Appraisal: A determination of property value.
- 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.
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- 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
- Chiropractor: means a person holding a license issued by the chiropractic examining board. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- 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.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal 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.
- County board: means the county board of supervisors. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- 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.
- Department: means the department of health services. See Wisconsin Statutes 146.001
- Department: when used without qualification, means the department of natural resources. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01
- 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.
- Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
- Donee: The recipient of a gift.
- Donor: The person who makes a gift.
- Enforcement standard: means a numerical value expressing the concentration of a substance in groundwater which is adopted under ss. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Federal number: means a numerical expression of the concentration of a substance in water, established as:
(a) A drinking water standard or maximum contaminant level, by the federal environmental protection agency;
(b) A suggested no-adverse-response level, by the federal environmental protection agency; or
(c) For oncogenic substances, a concentration based on a risk level determination by the federal environmental protection agency or a concentration based on a probability of risk model determined by the national academy of sciences. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it. Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator. Fire department: includes a department under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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. Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another. Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value. Grantor: includes every person from or by whom any freehold estate or interest passes in or by any deed; and "grantee" includes every person to whom any such estate or interest passes in like manner. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it. Groundwater: means any of the waters of the state, as defined in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01 Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. 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. Highway: includes all public ways and thoroughfares and all bridges upon the same. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols or figures. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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. Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury. 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 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. 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. Land: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff. 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. 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. Minor: means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes of investigating or prosecuting a person who is alleged to have violated a state or federal criminal law or any civil law or municipal ordinance, "minor" does not include a person who has attained the age of 17 years. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Month: means a calendar month unless otherwise expressed. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan. Motorcycle: has the meaning given in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Municipality: includes cities and villages; it may be construed to include towns. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Naturopathic doctor: means a naturopathic doctor licensed under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Oath: includes affirmation in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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. Officers: when applied to corporations include directors and trustees. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 osteopath: means a person holding a license or certificate of registration from the medical examining board. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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. Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Personal property: includes money, goods, chattels, things in action, evidences of debt and energy. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Personal property: All property that is not real property. Personal representative: means a person, however denominated, who is authorized to administer a decedent's estate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Physician assistant: means a person licensed as a physician assistant under subch. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit. 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. Point of standards application: means the specific location, depth or distance from a facility, activity or practice at which the concentration of a substance in groundwater is measured for purposes of determining whether a preventive action limit or an enforcement standard has been attained or exceeded. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01 Police department: includes a department under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Police officer: includes a person serving under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Population: means that shown by the most recent regular or special federal census. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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 Preceding: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next preceding that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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. Preventive action limit: means a numerical value expressing the concentration of a substance in groundwater which is adopted under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01 Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law. Probate: Proving a will Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed. Promulgate: when used in connection with a rule, as defined under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Property: includes real and personal property. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Property boundary: means the boundary of the total contiguous parcel of land owned by a common owner, regardless of whether public or private roads run through the parcel. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01 Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government. Psychologist: means a psychologist who is licensed under…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Public debt: Cumulative amounts borrowed by the Treasury Department or the Federal Financing Bank from the public or from another fund or account. The public debt does not include agency debt (amounts borrowed by other agencies of the Federal Government). The total public debt is subject to a statutory limit. Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters. Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide. Qualified: when applied to any person elected or appointed to office, means that such person has done those things which the person was by law required to do before entering upon the duties of the person's office. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business. railroad company: include any person managing, maintaining, operating or in possession of a railroad, whether as owner, contractor, lessee, mortgagee, trustee, assignee or receiver. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 real property: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land. Registered nurse: includes a registered nurse who holds a multistate license, as defined in…. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Regulatory agency: means the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, the department of safety and professional services, the department of transportation, the department of natural resources and other state agencies which regulate activities, facilities or practices which are related to substances which have been detected in or have a reasonable probability of entering the groundwater resources of the state. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01 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. Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings. Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action. seal: includes the word "seal" the letters "L S" and a scroll or other device intended to represent a seal, if any is affixed in the proper place for a seal, as well as an impression of a seal on the instrument. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Secretary: means the secretary of health services. See Wisconsin Statutes 146.001 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: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 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. Substance: means any solid, liquid, semisolid, dissolved solid or gaseous material, naturally occurring or man-made chemical, parameter for measurement of water quality or biological organism which, in its original form, or as a metabolite or a degradation or waste product, may decrease the quality of groundwater. See Wisconsin Statutes 160.01 Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system. Sworn: includes "affirmed" in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held. Testify: Answer questions in court. Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries. Town: may be construed to include cities, villages, wards or districts. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence. Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust. United States: includes the District of Columbia, the states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories organized by congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Village: means incorporated village. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Week: means 7 consecutive days. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01 Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; "year" alone means "year of our Lord". See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01