Terms Used In New York Laws > Environmental Conservation > Article 71 - Enforcement

• Abandonment: means the intentional relinquishment or forsaking of all possession or control of any substance. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-4401
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affected local government: shall mean every municipality in which land subject to an environmental easement is located. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-3603
• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Alternate correctional facility: shall mean a correctional facility designed to house medium security incarcerated individuals as defined by department rules and regulations, which is owned by the city of New York, operated by the department pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner and in accordance with the operation agreement as defined in subdivision five of this section, and used for the confinement of eligible incarcerated individuals, as defined by subdivision four of this section. See N.Y. Correction Law 87
• 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.
• 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.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• 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.
• Board: means the correction medical review board. See N.Y. Correction Law 40
• City: means the City of New York. See N.Y. Correction Law 150
• Commission: means the state commission of correction. See N.Y. Correction Law 40
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of correction of the city provided, however, that if there shall be established by law a correctional administration in the city, "commissioner" shall mean the correctional administrator of the City. See N.Y. Correction Law 150
• 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.
• Construction agreement: shall mean an agreement entered into pursuant to section eighty-eight of this article by the commissioner and the city of New York which governs the construction of two alternate correctional facilities of approximately seven hundred beds each, one at Ogdensburg and one at Cape Vincent, New York. See N.Y. Correction Law 87
• 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.
• Correctional facility: means any institution operated by the state department of corrections and community supervision, any local correctional facility, or any place used, pursuant to a contract with the state or a municipality, for the detention of persons charged with or convicted of a crime, or, for the purpose of this article only, a secure facility operated by the office of children and family services. See N.Y. Correction Law 40
• Council: means the citizen's policy and complaint review council. See N.Y. Correction Law 40
• Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
• 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.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Defense attorney: Represent defendants in criminal matters.
• Department: means the department of correction of the city provided, however, that if there shall be established by law a correctional administration in the city, "department" shall mean such administration. See N.Y. Correction Law 150
• 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.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Disposal: means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking or placing of any substance so that such substance or any related constituent thereof may enter the environment, or the abandonment of any substance. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-4401
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Eligible incarcerated individuals: shall mean incarcerated individuals of a New York city correctional facility who are at least nineteen years of age, who are serving a definite, but not an intermittent, sentence of imprisonment, and who do not have criminal charges pending against them. See N.Y. Correction Law 87
• 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.
• Environment: means any water, water vapor, any land including land surface or subsurface, air, fish, wildlife, biota, and all other natural resources. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-4401
• Environmental easement: shall mean an interest in real property, created under and subject to the provisions of this title which contains a use restriction and/or a prohibition on the use of land in a manner inconsistent with engineering controls; provided that no such easement shall be acquired or held by the state which is subject to the provisions of article fourteen of the constitution. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-3603
• 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.
• 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.
• Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
• 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.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• 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}
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• 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.
• Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
• 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}
• 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.
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• 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.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Local correctional facility: means any jail, penitentiary, state, county or municipal lockup, court detention pen, hospital prison ward or specialized secure juvenile detention facility for older youth. See N.Y. Correction Law 40
• Majority leader: see Floor Leaders
• Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• 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.
• Operation agreement: shall mean an agreement entered into pursuant to section eighty-eight of this article by the commissioner and the city of New York which governs the operation of one or both alternate correctional facilities and addresses all related issues, including, but not limited to, general staffing levels and nature of staffing positions; composition of medical staff; availability of outside medical services; procedures and criteria for selecting eligible incarcerated individuals; availability and frequency of transportation of incarcerated individuals and visitors of incarcerated individuals to such facility; availability, content and frequency of programming for incarcerated individuals; mechanisms to establish, monitor and review operating and capital expenditures; and legal representation of both incarcerated individuals and employees of such facilities. See N.Y. Correction Law 87
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Panel: shall mean the alternate correctional facility review panel established pursuant to section eighty-nine-e of this article. See N.Y. Correction Law 87
• 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.
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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.
• Pound: means an avoirdupois pound. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-4401
• 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.
• Regulated medical waste: means regulated medical waste as defined in title 15 of article 27 of this chapter. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-4401
• Release: means any pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or leaching, directly or indirectly, of a substance so that the substance or any related constituent thereof, or any degradation product of such a substance or of a related constituent thereof, may enter the environment, or the disposal of any substance. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 71-4401
• 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.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• 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.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• 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}
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Work release program: means a program in which the limits of place of confinement are extended for the purpose of seeking or engaging in employment or self-employment, attending an educational institution, participating in a training program, or obtaining medical treatment not otherwise available, caring for the prisoner's household and family or for some other compelling reason consistent with the public interest. See N.Y. Correction Law 150