Terms Used In California Codes > Code of Civil Procedure > Part 1 > Title 1 > Chapter 5.5 > Article 1 - General Provisions

• Accredited agency: means an agency that has been accredited by an accrediting entity, in accordance with the standards in Subpart F (commencing with Section 96. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Adoption service: means any of the following services:

  California Family Code 8900.5

• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• 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.
• Central authority: means the entity designated under paragraph (1) of Article 6 of the convention by a convention country. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Convention: means the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, May 29, 1993. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Convention adoption: means the adoption of a child resident in a convention country by a United States citizen, or an adoption of a child resident in the United States by an individual or individuals residing in a convention country, if, in connection with the adoption, the child has moved or will move between the United States and the convention country. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Convention country: means a country that is party to the convention and with which the convention is in force for the United States. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• County: includes city and county. See California Water Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Corporations Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Family Code 67
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• department: means the State Department of Health Care Services and "director" means the Director of Health Care Services. See California Health and Safety Code 11752
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Director: means "State Director of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 21
• Exempted provider: means a social work professional or organization that performs a home study on any prospective adoptive parent, or a child background study, or both, in the United States in connection with a convention adoption, and who is not currently providing and has not previously provided any other adoption service in the case. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Fiscal officer: means , for a municipal library, the chief fiscal officer of the municipality. See California Education Code 18015
• Foundation program: means those elements of library service which are basic to its function as a provider of information, education, and cultural enrichment to all segments of the community, including, but not limited to, collection development and maintenance, lending services, information services, facility maintenance, and administration. See California Education Code 18015
• 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.
• Legal service: means any service, other than those defined in this section as an adoption service, that relates to the provision of legal advice and information or to the drafting of legal instruments. See California Family Code 8900.5
• local agency: means any city, county, district, agency, or other political subdivision of the state for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries. See California Water Code 10701
• order: include a decree, as appropriate under the circumstances. See California Family Code 100
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Water Code 19
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Person: includes a natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or public entity. See California Family Code 105
• Petitioner: includes plaintiff, where appropriate. See California Family Code 126
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Primary provider: means the accredited agency that is identified pursuant to Section 96. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Proceeding: includes an action. See California Family Code 110
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• 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.
• Public library: means a library, or two or more libraries, operated as a single entity by one or more public jurisdictions and which serve the general public without distinction. See California Education Code 18015
• Secretary: means the United States Secretary of State, and includes any official of the United States Department of State exercising the authority of the Secretary of State under the convention, the IAA, or any regulations implementing the IAA, pursuant to a delegation of authority. See California Family Code 8900.5
• 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: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23
• State: includes the District of Columbia and the territories when applied to the different parts of the United States, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a commonwealth, territory, or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See California Family Code 145
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Water Code 10
• Supervised provider: means any agency, person, or other nongovernmental entity that is providing any adoption service in a convention adoption under the supervision and responsibility of an accredited agency that is acting as the primary provider in the case. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Support: refers to a support obligation owing on behalf of a child, spouse, or family, or an amount owing pursuant to Section 17402. See California Family Code 150