Terms Used In California Codes > Penal Code > Part 4 > Title 5.3 > Chapter 2 - Multidisciplinary Teams

• 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.
• Controller: means the State Controller. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 21
• county: includes "city and county". See California Penal Code 7
• County: includes city and county. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 15
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• 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.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Penal Code 7
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Penal Code 7
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.