Terms Used In New York Laws > Criminal Procedure > Part 2 > Title H - Preliminary Proceedings In Local Criminal Court

• accredited investor: shall mean (i) a natural person whose individual net worth (or joint net worth with his or her spouse) will exceed one million dollars at the time of purchase, or (ii) a natural person who has an individual income (exclusive of any income attributable to a spouse) of more than two hundred thousand dollars for the past two years or joint income with a spouse of more than three hundred thousand dollars in each of those years and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year, or (iii) an entity in which each equity owner is an accredited investor under subparagraph (i) or (ii) of this paragraph, or (iv) either an organization described in section 501 (C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, a corporation, a Massachusetts or similar business trust, or a partnership, in each case not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities being offered, and with total assets in excess of five million dollars, or (v) a trust, with total assets in excess of five million dollars, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities, whose purchase of the securities is directed by a person who has such knowledge and experience in business and financial matters that he or she is capable, as defined by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment, or a bank, as defined in section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (A) acting in its fiduciary capacity as trustee, or (B) subscribing for the purchase of securities being offered on its own behalf. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• advance ticket: shall mean a ticket of admission sold more than twelve hours in advance of the time of performance of the event for which the ticket is purchased. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• 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.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• 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.
• 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.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• applicant: includes that person designated to act for him and perform his official function in and during his actual absence or disability. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• 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
• Arraignment: A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• art merchant: includes an auctioneer who sells such works at public auction, and except in the case of multiples, includes persons, not otherwise defined or treated as art merchants herein, who are consignors or principals of auctioneers. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• Artist: means the creator of a work of fine art or, in the case of multiples, the person who conceived or created the image which is contained in or which constitutes the master from which the individual print was made. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• auction: means a public sale of cattle, swine or horses to the highest bidder. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 90-B
• 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.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• cattle: means the entire family of bovidae. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 90-B
• communication: includes conversation and discussion. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• concert: shall mean any live performance whether musical or spoken, dramatic or nondramatic, by one or more performers, which is presented to the public in a place of entertainment, as defined in this subdivision. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• 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.
• 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.
• deer: means any member of the family of cervidae. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 90-B
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Designated offense: means any one or more of the following crimes:
  
  (a) A conspiracy to commit any offense enumerated in the following paragraphs of this subdivision, or an attempt to commit any felony enumerated in the following paragraphs of this subdivision which attempt would itself constitute a felony;
  
  * (b) Any of the following felonies: assault in the second degree as defined in § 120. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Eavesdropping: means "wiretapping" "mechanical overhearing of conversation" or the "intercepting or accessing of an electronic communication" as those terms are defined in § 250. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Eavesdropping warrant: means an order of a justice authorizing or approving eavesdropping. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Electronic appearance: means an appearance in which various participants, including the defendant, are not present in the court, but in which, by means of an independent audio-visual system, (a) all of the participants are simultaneously able to see and hear reproductions of the voices and images of the judge, counsel, defendant, police officer, and any other appropriate participant, and (b) counsel is present with the defendant, or if the defendant waives the presence of counsel on the record, the defendant and his or her counsel are able to see and hear each other and engage in private conversation. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 182.10
• Electronic arraignment: means an arraignment in which various participants, including the defendant, are not personally present in the court but in which all of the participants are simultaneously able to see and hear reproductions of the voices and images of the judge, counsels, defendant, police officer and any other appropriate participant, by means of an independent audio-visual system. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 185.10
• Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Entertainment: means all forms of entertainment including, but not limited to, theatrical or operatic performances, concerts, motion pictures, all forms of entertainment at fair grounds, amusement parks and all types of athletic competitions including football, basketball, baseball, boxing, tennis, hockey, and any other sport, and all other forms of diversion, recreation or show. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• 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}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Established price: means the price fixed at the time of sale by the operator of any place of entertainment for admission thereto, which must be printed or endorsed on each ticket of admission. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• event: shall mean a theatrical production or sporting event, as those terms are defined in this subdivision, or any other public exhibition, game, show, contest or performance which is presented to the public in a place of entertainment as defined in this subdivision. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Final auction price: shall mean the price paid for a single ticket by a winning bidder. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• 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.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
• 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.
• Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
• horse: means the entire family of equidae. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 90-B
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Independent audio-visual system: means an electronic system for the transmission and receiving of audio and visual signals, encompassing encoded signals, frequency domain multiplexing or other suitable means to preclude the unauthorized reception and decoding of the signals by commercially available television receivers, channel converters, or other available receiving devices. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 182.10
• Independent audio-visual system: shall mean an electronic system for the transmission and receiving of audio and visual signals, encompassing encoded signals, frequency domain multiplexing or other suitable means to preclude the unauthorized reception and decoding of the signals by commercially available television receivers, channel converters, or other available receiving devices. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 185.10
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Judgement: The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit.
• 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.
• Juror: A person who is on the jury.
• Justice: except as otherwise provided herein, means any justice of an appellate division of the judicial department in which the eavesdropping warrant is to be executed, or any justice of the supreme court of the judicial district in which the eavesdropping warrant is to be executed, or any county court judge of the county in which the eavesdropping warrant is to be executed. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Limited edition: means works of art produced from a master, all of which are the same image and bear numbers or other markings to denote the limited production thereof to a stated maximum number of multiples, or are otherwise held out as limited to a maximum number of multiples. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• Master: when used alone is used in lieu of and means the same as such things as printing plate, stone, block, screen, photographic negative or other like material which contains an image used to produce visual art objects in multiples, or in the case of sculptures, a mold, model, cast, form or other prototype, other than from glass, which additional multiples of sculpture are produced, fabricated or carved. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• multiples: means prints, photographs, positive or negative, sculpture and similar art objects produced in more than one copy and sold, offered for sale or consigned in, into or from this state for an amount in excess of one hundred dollars exclusive of any frame or in the case of sculpture, an amount in excess of fifteen hundred dollars. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• Not-for-profit organization: means a domestic corporation incorporated pursuant to or otherwise subject to the not-for-profit corporation law, a charitable organization registered with the department of law, a religious corporation as defined in § 66 of the general construction law, a trustee as defined in section 8-1. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• 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.
• Operator: means any person who owns, operates, or controls a place of entertainment or who promotes or produces an entertainment. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• 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: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association or other group, however organized. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• person: shall mean an individual, firm, company, partnership, corporation, trust or association. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Petty offense: A federal misdemeanor punishable by six months or less in prison. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Physical structure: means the place of entertainment, or in the case where a structure either partially or wholly surrounds the place of entertainment, such surrounding structure. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• place of entertainment: shall mean a theatre, dinner theatre, hall, coliseum, convention center, arena, auditorium, stadium, concert hall, garden, outdoor space or other place of amusement operated as a for profit entity and located in this state in which theatrical productions, sporting events or other events are presented. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• Place of entertainment: means any privately or publicly owned and operated entertainment facility such as a theatre, stadium, arena, racetrack, museum, amusement park, or other place where performances, concerts, exhibits, athletic games or contests are held for which an entry fee is charged. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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.
• poultry: means a domesticated fowl including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, guinea fowl and game birds commonly used for the production of meat and eggs. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 90-B
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• principal: shall mean and include every person or firm directly or indirectly controlling the business affairs or operations of a theatrical production company or of a ticket distributor, as defined herein. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• 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.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• 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.
• Resale: means any sale of a ticket for entrance to a place of entertainment located within the boundaries of the state of New York other than a sale by the operator or the operator's agent who is expressly authorized to make first sales of such tickets. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Sculpture: means a three-dimensional fine art object produced, fabricated or carved in multiple from a mold, model, cast, form or other prototype, other than from glass, sold, offered for sale or consigned in, into or from this state for an amount in excess of fifteen hundred dollars. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01
• 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.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• swine: means the entire super family of suidoidae, both feral and domestic. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 90-B
• Syndication: shall mean all forms, methods and devices for pooling of investment funds for the chief purpose of participating in a theatrical production company, as defined herein. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• theatrical production: shall mean those live-staged dramatic productions, dramatic-musical productions and concerts, as defined in this subdivision, which hereafter are shown to the public for profit and which are financed wholly or in part by the offering or sale in or from this state, directly, or through agents or distributors, of investment agreements, evidences of interest, limited partnerships, producer shares, equity or debt securities, pre-organization subscriptions or any other syndication participation, when any persons are offered, solicited to purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, such syndication interests for moneys or services within or from the state of New York; provided, however, that for purposes of paragraphs (h) and (i) of this subdivision a "theatrical production" shall mean any live-staged dramatic production, dramatic-musical production or concert which is presented to the public in a place of entertainment as defined in this subdivision. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• theatrical production company: shall mean any entity formed to (i) develop, produce, invest in or otherwise exploit, or any combination thereof, one or more specified or nonspecified theatrical productions, and (ii) conduct all activities related thereto. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 23.03
• Ticket: means any evidence of the right of entry to any place of entertainment. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• Ticket office: means a building or other structure located other than at the place of entertainment, at which the operator or the operator's agent offers tickets for first sale to the public. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 25.03
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}
• Usury: Charging an illegally high interest rate on a loan. ^{Source: OCC}
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
• Video surveillance: means the intentional visual observation by law enforcement of a person by means of a television camera or other electronic device that is part of a television transmitting apparatus, whether or not such observation is recorded on film or video tape, without the consent of that person or another person thereat and under circumstances in which such observation in the absence of a video surveillance warrant infringes upon such person's reasonable expectation of privacy under the constitution of this state or of the United States. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Video surveillance warrant: means an order of a justice authorizing or approving video surveillance. See N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law 700.05
• Written instrument: means a written or printed agreement, bill of sale, invoice, certificate of authenticity, catalogue or any other written or printed note or memorandum or label describing the work of fine art or multiple which is to be sold, exchanged or consigned by an art merchant. See N.Y. Arts and Cultural Affairs Law 11.01