Terms Used In Louisiana Codes > Code of Civil Procedure > BOOK I > Title III > Chapter 5 > Section 1 - In Trial Courts

• 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.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Bylaws: means those bylaws established by the Interstate Commission for its governance, or for directing or controlling its actions or conduct. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• Compact administrator: means the individual in each compacting state appointed pursuant to the terms of this compact, responsible for the administration and management of the state's supervision and transfer of juveniles subject to the terms of this compact, the rules adopted by the Interstate Commission and policies adopted by the State Council under this compact. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• Compacting state: means any state which has enacted the enabling legislation for this compact. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• 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.
• Court: means any court having jurisdiction over delinquent, neglected, or dependent children. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Deputy compact administrator: means the individual, if any, in each compacting state appointed to act on behalf of a compact administrator pursuant to the terms of this compact responsible for the administration and management of the state's supervision and transfer of juveniles subject to the terms of this compact, the rules adopted by the Interstate Commission and policies adopted by the State Council under this compact. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• Interstate Commission: means the Interstate Commission for Juveniles created by Article 1663 of this compact. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• 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.
• Juvenile: means any person defined as a juvenile in any member state or by the rules of the Interstate Commission, including any of the following:

  (a)  "Accused delinquent" means a person charged with an offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a criminal offense. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662

• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Rule: means a written statement by the Interstate Commission promulgated pursuant to Article 1666 of this compact that is of general applicability, implements, interprets or prescribes a policy or provision of the compact, or an organizational, procedural, or practice requirement of the commission, and has the force and effect of statutory law in a compacting state, and includes the amendment, repeal, or suspension or an existing rule. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia or its designee, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas Islands. See Louisiana Children's Code 1662
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.