Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 52:4B-2

  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
2. As used in P.L.1971, c.317:

“Agency” means the Victims of Crime Compensation Agency;

“Child” means an unmarried person who is under 21 years of age and includes a stepchild or an adopted child;

“Dependent” means a relative of a deceased victim who was wholly or partially dependent upon the victim’s income at the time of the victim’s death and shall include the child of a victim born after the victim’s death;

“Legal assistance” means assistance provided to a crime victim in the enforcement of victims’ rights in all courts; family law matters, including but not limited to child protection actions, divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, emancipation, dependency, guardianship, and family reunification; obtaining protective and restraining orders; employment matters, including but not limited to wage and hour claims; accessing public benefits; life planning; and any other situation for which an eligible crime victim needs legal services related to the victimization;

“Personal injury” means actual bodily harm and includes pregnancy and mental or nervous shock;

“Relative” of any person means the person’s spouse, parent, grandparent, stepfather, stepmother, child, grandchild, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, or parent of the person’s spouse;

“Relevant evidence” means evidence having a tendency in reason to prove or disprove any fact of consequence to the determination of the action and that is deemed to be admissible under the rules of evidence and does not include rumor, supposition, speculation, hearsay or opinion, except as otherwise deemed admissible under the rules of evidence;

“Review Board” or “board” means the Victims of Crime Compensation Review Board established by section 2 of P.L.2007, c.95 (C. 52:4B-3.2);

“Victim” means a person who suffers personal, physical, or psychological injury or death as a result of the conduct of another person who commits against that person any of the offenses specified in section 11 of P.L.1971, c.317 (C. 52:4B-11) or an act by a juvenile, which if committed by an adult, would constitute a violation of any of these offenses. The term shall include, in the case of a criminal homicide or an act by a juvenile which, if committed by an adult, would constitute a criminal homicide, the spouse, parent, legal guardian, grandparent, child, sibling, domestic or civil union partner of the decedent, or parent of the decedent’s child;

“Victims of Crime Compensation Office” or “office” means the Victims of Crime Compensation Agency established pursuant to P.L.1971, c.317 (C. 52:4B-1 et seq.) which is continued as the Victims of Crime Compensation Office pursuant to P.L.2007, c.95 (C. 52:4B-3.2 et al.) and Reorganization Plan No. 001-2008.

L.1971, c.317, s.2; amended 2007, c.95, s.1; 2019, c.380, s.1.