Terms Used In New York Laws > Family Court > Article 5 - Paternity Proceedings

• 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.
• 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.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• 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.
• 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.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Beneficiary: shall mean a person who is receiving a benefit from a public retirement system of the state or who has met all the conditions precedent for the actual receipt of a benefit from a public retirement system of the state, and the monies are due and owing to such person by the public retirement system of the state. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• bond: means (a) a bond, note or other obligation of any kind or nature, whether secured or unsecured, which is part of an issue held by more than one person, or (b) a certificate or other instrument which is part of an issue held by more than one person evidencing any interest in any bond, note or other obligation of any kind or nature, whether secured or unsecured. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 285
• bondholder: means the owner of a bond. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 285
• Borrower: shall mean a student attending a covered institution in this state, or a parent or person in parental relation to such student, who also obtains an educational loan from a lending institution to pay for or finance higher education expenses. See N.Y. Education Law 620
• child: refers to a child born out of wedlock. See N.Y. Family Court Law 512
• child born out of wedlock: refers to a child who is begotten and born out of lawful matrimony. See N.Y. Family Court Law 512
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• 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.
• Covered institution employee: shall mean any employee, agent, contractor, director, officer or trustee of a covered institution. See N.Y. Education Law 620
• Crime related to public office: shall mean any of the following criminal offenses whether committed in this state or in any other jurisdiction by a public official through the use of his or her public office or by the individual representing that he or she was acting with the authority of any governmental entity, and acting as a public official:

  (a) a felony for committing, aiding or abetting a larceny of public funds from the state or a municipality;

  (b) a felony committed in direct connection with service as a public official; or

  (c) a felony committed by such person who, with the intent to defraud, realizes or obtains, or attempts to realize or obtain, a profit, gain or advantage for himself or herself or for some other person, through the use or attempted use of the power, rights, privileges or duties of his or her position as a public official. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 156

• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• default: means any non-compliance for thirty days or more by the obligor with any provision of a bond or of a trust indenture, whether or not under the terms of such bond or such trust indenture such non-compliance is regarded as a default, and whether or not any period of grace or other period prescribed in such bond or such trust indenture as a prerequisite for taking any action has expired. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 285
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Defendant: shall mean a state or local officer against whom a forfeiture action is commenced. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 156
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• 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.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Educational loan: shall mean any loan that is made, insured, or guaranteed under Part B of Title IV of the Federal Higher Education Act of nineteen hundred sixty-five, as amended, any high risk loan or any private loan issued by a lending institution for the purposes of paying for or financing higher education expenses. See N.Y. Education Law 620
• 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.
• 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.
• father: refers to the father of a child born out-of-wedlock. See N.Y. Family Court Law 512
• Felony: A crime carrying a penalty of more than a year in prison.
• finder: as used in this article means the person who first takes possession of lost property. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• 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.
• Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
• 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.
• Gift: shall mean any discount, favor, gratuity, inducement, loan, stock, thing of value, or other item having more than nominal value. See N.Y. Education Law 620
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Head of the retirement system: shall mean the state comptroller, with respect to the New York state and local employees' retirement system and the New York state and local police and fire retirement system, and the retirement board of the other public retirement systems of the state. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• Higher education expenses: shall include the following:

  a. See N.Y. Education Law 620

• 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.
• instrument: as used in this article means a check, draft, promissory note, bond, bill of lading, warehouse receipt, stock certificate or other paper or document, other than those payable, drawn or issued to bearer or to cash and other than money, evidencing, representing or embodying a chose in action or a right with respect to property or a share, participation or other interest in property or in an enterprise. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• 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}
• Lending institution: shall mean :

  a. See N.Y. Education Law 620

• 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.
• lost property: as used in this article includes lost or mislaid property. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• Member: shall mean a member of any public retirement system of the state. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• Misdemeanor: Usually a petty offense, a less serious crime than a felony, punishable by less than a year of confinement.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• mother: refers to the mother of a child born out of wedlock. See N.Y. Family Court Law 512
• 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.
• 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.
• obligor: includes the obligor of a bond as defined in clause (a) of paragraph one of this section; the obligor of an obligation, interests in which are evidenced by a bond as defined in clause (b) of paragraph one of this section; and the owner of any property securing any bond or any such obligation. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 285
• owner: as used in this article means any person entitled to possession of the lost property as against the finder and against any other person who has made a claim. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• 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.
• Pension: shall mean the annual allowance for life, payable in monthly installments, derived from contributions made by a public official to the appropriate pension accumulation fund of a retirement system pursuant to applicable law. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 156
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• 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.
• Preferred lender list: shall mean a list of one or more recommended or suggested lending institutions that a covered institution makes available for use, in print or any other medium or form, by borrowers, potential borrowers or others. See N.Y. Education Law 620
• Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• property: as used in this article means money, instruments payable, drawn or issued to bearer or to cash, goods, chattels and tangible personal property other than (a) "instruments" as defined in subdivision two of this section, (b) animals, (c) wrecks governed by the provisions of the navigation law, (d) logs and other property governed by section three hundred twenty-three of the town law and (e) vehicles governed by the vehicle and traffic law. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• Public employee pension plan: shall mean any plan, fund, or program which was heretofore or is hereafter established or maintained, in whole or in part, by a public employer of the state, as the term public employer is defined in Article 14 of the civil service law, and administered by a public retirement system of the state, which provides retirement income to employees or their beneficiaries. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public official: shall mean any of the following individuals:

  (i) the governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller or attorney general;

  (ii) members of the state legislature;

  (iii) state officers and employees including:

  (A) heads of state departments and their deputies and assistants other than members of the board of regents of the university of the state of New York who receive no compensation or are compensated on a per diem basis;

  (B) officers and employees of statewide elected officials;

  (C) officers and employees of state departments, boards, bureaus, divisions, commissions, councils or other state agencies; and

  (D) members or directors of public authorities, other than multi-state authorities, public benefit corporations and commissions at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor, and employees of such authorities, corporations and commissions;

  (iv) judges, justices and employees of the unified court system;

  (v) officers and employees of the legislature; and

  (vi) paid municipal officers and employees including an officer or employee of a municipality, paid members of any administrative board, commission or other agency thereof and in the case of a county, shall be deemed to also include any officer or employee paid from county funds. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 156

• Public retirement system of the state: shall mean the New York state and local employees' retirement system, New York state and local police and fire retirement system, New York state teachers' retirement system, New York city employees' retirement system, New York city teachers' retirement system, New York city police pension fund, New York city fire department pension fund and the New York city board of education retirement system. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• 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.
• Retired member: shall mean a person who is retired from and who is receiving a retirement allowance from a public retirement system of the state. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• Retirement system: shall mean the New York state and local employees' retirement system, and the New York city employees' retirement system. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 156
• Revenue sharing: shall mean any arrangement whereby a lending institution pays a covered institution or an affiliated entity or organization of such covered institution a percentage of the principal of each loan directed towards the lending institution from a borrower at the covered institution. See N.Y. Education Law 620
• 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.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Total accumulated plan benefits: shall mean an interest obtained by a member in that part of a public employee pension plan which arises from the member's continued service for a public employer based on service to date. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 152
• Transportation company: as used in this article means the person carrying on a business of operating a transportation facility. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• Transportation facility: as used in this article means a railroad car or coach, Pullman car, street surface railroad car, subway car, motor bus, motor coach, taxicab, aircraft or steamship, and any other vehicle or conveyance used for carriage of persons whether or not such use is in the course of a business of transporting persons. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 251
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• trust indenture: means any agreement, conveyance, transfer, mortgage or other instrument, pursuant to which bonds are issued, or which affect the rights of bondholders. See N.Y. Personal Property Law 285
• 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}
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.