Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 1 > Division 1 > Chapter 1 > Article 5 - Rights Over Persons

• commission: means the California Transportation Commission. See California Government Code 14002.5
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• department: means the Department of Veterans Affairs. See California Military and Veterans Code 690
• Department: as used in this article , means the Department of Transportation as to work within its jurisdiction, the Department of Water Resources as to work within its jurisdiction, the Department of Boating and Waterways as to any project under the jurisdiction of that department pursuant to Article 2. See California Government Code 14155
• Department: means the Department of Transportation. See California Government Code 14002.5
• 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.
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• Jury instructions: A judge's directions to the jury before it begins deliberations regarding the factual questions it must answer and the legal rules that it must apply. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Open-end credit: A credit agreement (typically a credit card) that allows a customer to borrow against a preapproved credit line when purchasing goods and services. The borrower is only billed for the amount that is actually borrowed plus any interest due. (Also called a charge account or revolving credit.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• 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.
• 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
• Process: signifies a writ or summons issued in the course of a judicial proceeding. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Town: includes "unincorporated town" and "village. See California Government Code 21
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trial jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
• Voir dire: The process by which judges and lawyers select a petit jury from among those eligible to serve, by questioning them to determine knowledge of the facts of the case and a willingness to decide the case only on the evidence presented in court. "Voir dire" is a phrase meaning "to speak the truth."
• Will: includes codicil. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17