Terms Used In California Codes > Code of Civil Procedure > Part 3 > Title 7 > Chapter 11 > Article 7 - Litigation Expenses and Damages Upon Dismissal or Defeat of Right to Take

• 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.
• Certificated employee: means a member, as defined by Section 22146, of the State Teachers' Retirement System. See California Education Code 7004
• City: includes city and county. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 15
• Commission: means the Public Utilities Commission created by §. See California Public Utilities Code 20
• Commissioner: means the Insurance Commissioner of this State. See California Insurance Code 20
• 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.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• County: includes city and county. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 14
• 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.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Domestic: means organized under the laws of this State, whether or not admitted. See California Insurance Code 26
• Foreign: means not organized under the laws of this State, whether or not admitted. See California Insurance Code 27
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• 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.
• 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: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 19
• Person: means any person, association, organization, partnership, business trust, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Insurance Code 19
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• School district: means that district from which the member of the State Teachers' Retirement System last made contributions to the system before retirement. See California Education Code 7004
• Spouse: means a spouse as defined by Section 22171. See California Education Code 7004
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 20
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Insurance Code 28
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Public Utilities Code 17
• Steam vessel: means any vessel which is propelled by machinery. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 22
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Vessel: includes ships of all kinds, steamboats, steamships, canal boats, barges, sailing vessels, and every structure adapted to be navigated from place to place for the transportation of merchandise or persons. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 21