Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 2 > Division 3 > Part 2.8 > Chapter 6 > Article 1 - Unlawful Practices, Generally

• 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.
• Age: refers to the chronological age of any individual who has reached a 40th birthday. See California Government Code 12926
• Agency: means the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. See California Labor Code 18.5
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• Bycatch: includes discards. See California Fish and Game Code 90.5
• 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
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Council: means the Civil Rights Council and "council member" means a member of the council. See California Government Code 12925
• County: includes "city and county. See California Labor Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• creed: include all aspects of religious belief, observance, and practice, including religious dress and grooming practices. See California Government Code 12926
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• 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 the Civil Rights Department. See California Government Code 12925
• Department: means Department of Industrial Relations. See California Labor Code 19
• Department: means the Department of Fish and Wildlife. See California Fish and Game Code 37
• Director: means Director of Industrial Relations. See California Labor Code 20
• Director: means the Director of Fish and Wildlife. See California Fish and Game Code 39
• Discrimination: includes refusal to sell, rent, or lease housing accommodations. See California Government Code 12927
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Employment agency: includes any person undertaking for compensation to procure employees or opportunities to work. See California Government Code 12926
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• 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}
• 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.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• 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

• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gender: means sex, and includes a person's gender identity and gender expression. See California Government Code 12926
• Gender expression: means a person's gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. See California Government Code 12926
• Genetic information: includes any request for, or receipt of, genetic services, or participation in clinical research that includes genetic services, by an individual or any family member of the individual. See California Government Code 12926
• 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.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Kelp: means kelp or other marine aquatic plants and the seeds thereof. See California Fish and Game Code 51
• Labor Commissioner: means Chief of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. See California Labor Code 21
• Labor organization: includes any organization that exists and is constituted for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining or of dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid or protection. See California Government Code 12926
• 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.
• Medical condition: means either of the following:

  California Government Code 12926

• Mental disability: includes , but is not limited to, all of the following:

  California Government Code 12926

• 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
• Net: means any gear made of any kind of twine, thread, string, rope, wire, wood, or other materials used for the gilling, entangling, trapping, or impounding of fish. See California Fish and Game Code 56
• Nonresident: means a person who is not a resident as defined in Section 70. See California Fish and Game Code 57
• 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.
• Open season: means that period of time during which the taking of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, or amphibians is allowed as prescribed in this code and regulations adopted by the commission. See California Fish and Game Code 62
• Overfishing: means a rate or level of taking that the best available scientific information, and other relevant information that the commission or department possesses or receives, indicates is not sustainable or that jeopardizes the capacity of a marine fishery to produce the maximum sustainable yield on a continuing basis. See California Fish and Game Code 98
• 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: includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, limited liability companies, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, and receivers or other fiduciaries. See California Government Code 12925
• Person: means any person, association, organization, partnership, business trust, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Labor Code 18
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• 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
• Physical disability: includes , but is not limited to, all of the following:

  California Government Code 12926

• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Probate: Proving a will
• 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 both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Purchase: means "buy" as defined in Section 24. See California Fish and Game Code 68
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Religious dress practice: shall be construed broadly to include the wearing or carrying of religious clothing, head or face coverings, jewelry, artifacts, and any other item that is part of an individual observing a religious creed. See California Government Code 12926
• Religious grooming practice: shall be construed broadly to include all forms of head, facial, and body hair that are part of an individual observing a religious creed. See California Government Code 12926
• 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.
• Reproductive health decisionmaking: includes , but is not limited to, a decision to use or access a particular drug, device, product, or medical service for reproductive health. See California Government Code 12926
• Resident: means any person who has resided continuously in the State of California for six months or more immediately prior to the date of application for a license or permit, any person on active military duty with the Armed Forces of the United States or auxiliary branch thereof, or any person enrolled in the Job Corps established pursuant to former Section 2883 of Title 29 of the United States Code. See California Fish and Game Code 70
• season: means "open season. See California Fish and Game Code 62
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. See California Labor Code 19.5
• 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.
• Sex: includes , but is not limited to, the following:

  California Government Code 12926

• Sexual orientation: means heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. See California Government Code 12926
• Sheriff: includes "marshal. See California Labor Code 25
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Fish and Game Code 9.2
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Government Code 12.2
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• 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 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
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• 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 the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Supervisor: means any individual having the authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or the responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend that action, if, in connection with the foregoing, the exercise of that authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment. See California Government Code 12926
• Take: means hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill. See California Fish and Game Code 86
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Undue hardship: means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense, when considered in light of the following factors:

  California Government Code 12926

• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• Veteran or military status: means a member or veteran of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces Reserve, the United States National Guard, and the California National Guard. See California Government Code 12926
• Violation: includes a failure to comply with any requirement of the code. See California Labor Code 22
• Will: includes codicil. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.