Terms Used In California Codes > Welfare and Institutions Code > Division 8.5 > Chapter 11 - State Ombudsman

• Advisory Council: means the Dispute Resolution Advisory Council. See California Business and Professions Code 466
• 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
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• County: includes "city and county. See California Welfare and Institutions Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 17
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Dispute resolution: includes , but is not limited to, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration. See California Business and Professions Code 466
• 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.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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.
• Initiative: means the California Bench to School Initiative established in subdivision (a). See California Education Code 99275
• Institute: means the California Institute on Law, Neuroscience, and Education created pursuant to subdivision (a). See California Education Code 99275
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• 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.
• Program: means an entity that provides dispute resolution. See California Business and Professions Code 466
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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.
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
• Testify: Answer questions in court.