Terms Used In California Codes > Food and Agricultural Code > Division 9 > Part 3 > Chapter 4 - Meat and Poultry Inspection

• 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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• applicant: includes an indigent person appearing pro se to represent themself at any stage of the case and applying to receive funds from the Transcript Reimbursement Fund established in Section 8030. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• 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
• Aquaculture: means that form of agriculture devoted to the propagation, cultivation, maintenance, and harvesting of aquatic plants and animals in marine, brackish, and fresh water. See California Fish and Game Code 17
• 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.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• 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.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• 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}
• Bird: means a wild bird or part of a wild bird. See California Fish and Game Code 22
• Board: as used in this chapter , means the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists established under Section 6710. See California Business and Professions Code 7801
• board: means any entity listed in Section 101, the entities referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600, the State Bar, the Department of Real Estate, and any other state agency that issues a license, certificate, or registration authorizing a person to engage in a business or profession. See California Business and Professions Code 31
• Bureau: means the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau. See California Business and Professions Code 7601
• Case: means a single legal proceeding from its inception, through all levels of hearing, trial, and appeal, until its ultimate conclusion and disposition. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• 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
• Certified shorthand reporter: means a shorthand reporter certified pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 8020) performing shorthand reporting services pursuant to Section 8017. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• City: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 18
• Commission: means the Fish and Game Commission, and "commissioner" means a member of the Fish and Game Commission. See California Fish and Game Code 30
• Commission: means the Historic State Capitol Commission created by Section 9149. See California Government Code 9149.1
• 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.
• Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• 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.
• 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.
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• 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 Business and Professions Code 17
• County: includes city and county. See California Family Code 67
• county: means a county in which a county firewarden has been appointed. See California Government Code 55601
• County: includes city and county. See California Fish and Game Code 32
• County: includes city and county. See California Food and Agricultural Code 29
• Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
• Credible science: means the best available scientific information that is not overly prescriptive due to the dynamic nature of science, and includes the evaluation principles of relevance, inclusiveness, objectivity, transparency, timeliness, verification, validation, and peer review of information as appropriate. See California Fish and Game Code 33
• Day: means calendar day, and "week" means calendar week. See California Fish and Game Code 35
• 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.
• department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• 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
• Department: means the Department of Fish and Wildlife. See California Fish and Game Code 37
• Department: means the Department of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 32
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• 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.
• Developmentally Disabled Assistance Act: means the Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-103), as amended. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Director: means "State Director of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 21
• Director: means the Director of Fish and Wildlife. See California Fish and Game Code 39
• 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:
• District: means fish and game district. See California Fish and Game Code 41
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• 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
• facility: means any premises, place, or building that provides residential nonmedical services to adults who are recovering from problems related to alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug misuse or abuse, and who need alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug recovery treatment or detoxification services. See California Health and Safety Code 11834.02
• 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.
• Fee-generating case: means any case or matter that, if undertaken on behalf of an eligible client by an attorney in private practice, reasonably may be expected to result in payment of a fee for legal services from an award to a client, from public funds, or from an opposing party. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fish: means a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian, or part, spawn, or ovum of any of those animals. See California Fish and Game Code 45
• Fishery: means both of the following:

  California Fish and Game Code 94

• Floor leaders: The Majority Leader and Minority Leader are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By custom, the Presiding Officer gives the floor leaders priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Geologist: as used in this chapter , refers to a person engaged in the practice of geology. See California Business and Professions Code 7803
• Geophysicist: as used in this chapter , refers to a person engaged in the practice of geophysics. See California Business and Professions Code 7803.1
• 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,
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• 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.
• Hague adoption certificate: means a certificate issued by the secretary in an outgoing case (where the child is emigrating from the United States to another convention country) certifying that a child has been adopted in the United States in accordance with the convention and, except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 97. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Hague custody declaration: means a declaration issued by the secretary in an outgoing case (where the child is emigrating from the United States to another convention country) declaring that custody of a child for purposes of adoption has been granted in the United States in accordance with the convention and, except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 97. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Historic fabric: means original or added building or construction materials, features, and finishes that are deemed by the commission as historically or architecturally significant. See California Government Code 9149.1
• Historic State Capitol: means the building housing the state legislative offices and chambers, situated in the area bounded by 10th, L, 15th, and N Streets in the City of Sacramento, including the portions of the State Capitol Building Annex that contain historic fabric, and Capitol Park, provided that Capitol Park shall be included in the historic State Capitol for purposes of this article only upon the adoption by the Joint Rules Committee of a master plan regarding Capitol Park. See California Government Code 9149.1
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• 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.
• Indigent person: means any of the following:

  California Business and Professions Code 8030.4

• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• 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.
• Kelp: means kelp or other marine aquatic plants and the seeds thereof. See California Fish and Game Code 51
• Lawyer referral service: means a lawyer referral program authorized by the State Bar of California pursuant to the rules of professional conduct. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• 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}
• Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
• 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
• Legal Services Corporation: means the Legal Services Corporation established under the Legal Services Corporation Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-355), as amended. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• legislative body: means the board of supervisors in the case of a county or city and county and the city council or board of trustees in the case of a city. See California Government Code 55701
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• license: means license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Section 1000 or 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.7
• Licensee: means the holder of a license issued under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) or Chapter 8. See California Health and Safety Code 1418
• Licensee: means any person authorized by a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.8
• Licensing board: means any board, as defined in Section 22, the State Bar of California, and the Department of Real Estate. See California Business and Professions Code 30
• 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.
• local agency: means county, city, and sanitary district. See California Government Code 55300
• 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
• local agency: means a city, chartered city, or a fire protection district. See California Government Code 55600
• local agency: means a neighboring city, county, fire protection district, joint powers authority that provides fire protection services, police protection district, federal government or any federal department or agency. See California Government Code 55631
• local agency: means a county, city and county, and city, both chartered and general law. See California Government Code 55700
• Long-term health care facility: means any facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) that is any of the following:

  California Health and Safety Code 1418

• Mammal: means a wild or feral mammal or part of a wild or feral animal, but not a wild, feral, or undomesticated burro. See California Fish and Game Code 54
• Marine finfish aquaculture: means the propagation, cultivation, or maintenance of finfish species in the waters of the Pacific Ocean that are regulated by this state. See California Fish and Game Code 54.5
• Mile: means either a statute mile (5,280 feet) or a nautical mile (6,077 feet) depending on the application. See California Fish and Game Code 55
• month: means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed. See California Civil Code 14
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Government Code 15
• 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.
• Older Americans Act: means the Older Americans Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-73), as amended. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• order: include a decree, as appropriate under the circumstances. See California Family Code 100
• Other qualified project: means a nonprofit organization formed for charitable or other public purposes, that does not receive funds from the Legal Services Corporation or pursuant to the federal Older Americans Act, and provides free legal services to indigent persons. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• 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: 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: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, or company, but not including any public corporation or other public entity. See California Water Code 12000
• Person: includes a natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or public entity. See California Family Code 105
• Person: means any natural person or any partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, or other type of association. See California Fish and Game Code 67
• Person: means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, or any organized group of persons whether incorporated or not. See California Food and Agricultural Code 38
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Petitioner: includes plaintiff, where appropriate. See California Family Code 126
• 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.
• 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}
• 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.
• President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
• Primary provider: means the accredited agency that is identified pursuant to Section 96. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Pro bono attorney: means any attorney, law firm, or legal corporation, licensed to practice law in this state, that undertakes, without charge to the party, the representation of an indigent person, referred by a qualified legal services project, qualified support center, or other qualified project, in a case not considered to be fee generating, as defined in this chapter. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
• 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.
• Proceeding: includes an action. See California Family Code 110
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• property: includes property real and personal. See California Civil Code 14
• Property: includes real and personal property and any interest therein. See California Family Code 113
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Public domestic authority: means an authority operated by a state, local, or tribal government. See California Family Code 8900.5
• Purchase: means "buy" as defined in Section 24. See California Fish and Game Code 68
• Qualified legal services project: means a nonprofit project, incorporated and operated exclusively in California, that provides as its primary purpose and function legal services without charge to indigent persons, has a board of directors or advisory board composed of both attorneys and consumers of legal services, and provides for community participation in legal services programming. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Qualified support center: means an incorporated nonprofit legal services center that has an office or offices in California that provide legal services or technical assistance without charge to qualified legal services projects and their clients on a multicounty basis in California. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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.
• 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).
• revenue: means revenue derived from the tax collected pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law provided for in Part 1. See California Government Code 55702
• Rules of professional conduct: means those rules adopted by the State Bar of California pursuant to Sections 6076 and 6077. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• 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
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. See California Food and Agricultural Code 35
• Sell: includes offer for sale, expose for sale, possess for sale, exchange, barter, or trade. See California Food and Agricultural Code 44
• Sell: includes offer or possess for sale, barter, exchange, or trade. See California Fish and Game Code 75
• 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.
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Health and Safety Code 12.2
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Business and Professions Code 14.2
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by Section 297. See California Family Code 143
• 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: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
• 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
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Fish and Game Code 83
• state agency: includes every state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, and commission. See California Government Code 11000
• stock: means a species, subspecies, geographical grouping, or other category of fish capable of management as a unit. See California Fish and Game Code 98.5
• Story: means that portion of a building included between the upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above, except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building included between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the ceiling or roof above. See California Health and Safety Code 19955.3
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Water Code 10
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Fish and Game Code 73
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Food and Agricultural Code 49
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• 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
• Take: means hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill. See California Fish and Game Code 86
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Trustor: The person who makes or creates a trust. Also known as the grantor or settlor.
• United States: means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto. See California Water Code 20
• United States: means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto. See California Water Code 12001
• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Vexatious litigant: means a person as defined in subdivision (b) of §. See California Business and Professions Code 8030.4
• Water agency: as used in this part means any public corporation, district, political subdivision, or any other agency or authority now or hereafter organized under the laws of this state which develops, stores, distributes or supplies water. See California Water Code 12970
• Wildlife: means and includes all wild animals, birds, plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and related ecological communities, including the habitat upon which the wildlife depends for its continued viability. See California Fish and Game Code 89.5
• will: includes codicil. See California Civil Code 14
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.