Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 23 - Miscellaneous Executive Functions

• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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
• 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.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the Department of Financial Services. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Division: means the Division of State Fire Marshal within the Department of Financial Services. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• Dwelling unit: means :
  (a) A structure or part of a structure that is rented for use as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one person or by two or more persons who maintain a common household. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• employment: means any service performed by a firefighter employee for the firefighter employer. See Florida Statutes 633.504
• 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.
• 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.
• Fire service provider: means a municipality or county, the state, the division, or any political subdivision of the state, including authorities and special districts, that employs firefighters or uses volunteer firefighters to provide fire extinguishment or fire prevention services for the protection of life and property. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• Firefighter: means an individual who holds a current and valid Firefighter Certificate of Compliance or Special Certificate of Compliance issued by the division under…. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• Firefighter employee: means a firefighter, volunteer firefighter, or individual providing support services who is engaged in any employment, public or private, under any appointment or contract of hire or apprenticeship, express or implied, oral or written, whether lawfully or unlawfully employed, responding to or assisting with fire or medical emergencies, regardless of whether on duty, except those appointed under…. See Florida Statutes 633.504
• Firefighter employer: means the state and all political subdivisions of this state, all public and quasi-public corporations in this state, and a person carrying on any employment for this state, political subdivisions of this state, and public and quasi-public corporations in this state which employs firefighter employees, except those appointed under…. See Florida Statutes 633.504
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Good faith: means honesty in fact in the conduct or transaction concerned. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• Instructional personnel: means any K-12 staff member whose function includes the provision of direct instructional services to students. See Florida Statutes 1012.01
• 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.
• Landlord: means the owner or lessor of a dwelling unit. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• law enforcement agency: means any agency or unit of government that has authority to employ or appoint law enforcement officers, as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 23.1225
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• mutual aid agreement: as used in this part , refers to one of the following types of agreement:
  (a) A voluntary cooperation written agreement between two or more law enforcement agencies, which agreement permits voluntary cooperation and assistance of a routine law enforcement nature across jurisdictional lines. See Florida Statutes 23.1225
• 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.
• 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.
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• place of employment: means the physical location at which the firefighter employee is employed or deployed. See Florida Statutes 633.504
• 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.
• Plea agreement: An arrangement between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for special considerations. ^Source:
• political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Premises: means a dwelling unit and the structure of which it is a part and a mobile home lot and the appurtenant facilities and grounds, areas, facilities, and property held out for the use of tenants generally. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• 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.
• Rent: means the periodic payments due the landlord from the tenant for occupancy under a rental agreement and any other payments due the landlord from the tenant as may be designated as rent in a written rental agreement. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• Rental agreement: means any written agreement, including amendments or addenda, or oral agreement for a duration of less than 1 year, providing for use and occupancy of premises. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• 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.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Support services: means those activities that a fire service provider has trained an individual to perform safely outside the hot zone of an emergency scene, including pulling hoses, opening and closing fire hydrants, driving and operating apparatus, carrying tools, carrying or moving equipment, directing traffic, manning a resource pool, or similar activities. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• Tenant: means any person entitled to occupy a dwelling unit under a rental agreement. See Florida Statutes 83.43
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Use: means application, employment; that enjoyment of property which consists of its employment, occupation, exercise, or practice. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• veteran: means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Volunteer firefighter: means an individual who holds a current and valid Volunteer Firefighter Certificate of Completion issued by the division under…. See Florida Statutes 633.102
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01