Terms Used In New York Laws > Judiciary > Article 19 - Contempts

• Advisory committee: shall mean the committee established by section four hundred forty-three of this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 441
• advocate: means an employee of the short-term safe house defined in subdivision two of this section that has been trained to work with and advocate for the needs of sexually exploited children. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• 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.
• 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.
• Applicable board rate: shall mean an amount equal to the monthly payment that has been made by a social services official, in accordance with section three hundred ninety-eight-a of this article and other provisions of this chapter, for the care and maintenance of the child, while such child was boarded out in the approved or certified foster family boarding home with the prospective relative guardian. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• 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
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Authorized agency: means
  
  (a) Any agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization which is incorporated or organized under the laws of this state with corporate power or empowered by law to care for, to place out or to board out children, which actually has its place of business or plant in this state and which is approved, visited, inspected and supervised by the office of children and family services or which shall submit and consent to the approval, visitation, inspection and supervision of such office as to any and all acts in relation to the welfare of children performed or to be performed under this title; provided, however, that on and after June first, two thousand seven, such term shall not include any for-profit corporation or other for-profit entity or organization for the purposes of the operation, management, supervision or ownership of agency boarding homes, group homes, homes including family boarding homes of family free homes, or institutions which are located within this state;
  
  (b) Any court or any social services official of this state authorized by law to place out or to board out children or any Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement with the department pursuant to section thirty-nine of this chapter;
  
  (c) Any agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization which is not incorporated or organized under the laws of this state, placing out a child for adoption whose admission to the United States as an eligible orphan with non-quota immigrant status pursuant to the federal immigration and nationality act is sought for the purpose of adoption in the State of New York or who has been brought into the United States with such status and for such purpose, provided, however, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization is licensed or otherwise authorized by another state to place out children for adoption, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization is approved by the department to place out such children with non-quota immigrant status for adoption in the State of New York, and provided further, that such agency, association, corporation, institution, society or other organization complies with the regulations of the department pertaining to such placements. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• 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 rate: shall mean an amount equal to the monthly payment which has been or would have been made by a social services official, in accordance with section three hundred ninety-eight-a and other provisions of this chapter, for the care and maintenance of the child, if such child had been boarded out in a foster family boarding home. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Child: shall mean a person under the age of twenty-one years whose guardianship and custody have been committed to a social services official or a voluntary authorized agency, or whose guardianship and custody have been committed to a certified or approved foster parent pursuant to a court order prior to such person's eighteenth birthday, except as provided in paragraph (g) of subdivision three of section three hundred eighty-four-b of this article and section six hundred thirty-one of the family court act. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Child: shall mean a person under the age of twenty-one years whose custody, care and custody, or custody and guardianship have been committed to a social services official prior to such person's eighteenth birthday pursuant to section three hundred fifty-eight-a, three hundred eighty-three-c, three hundred eighty-four, three hundred eighty-four-a or three hundred eighty-four-b of this chapter or article three, seven, ten or 10-C of the family court act. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Child: means a person actually or apparently under the age of eighteen years;
  
  2. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• community-based program: means a program operated by a not-for-profit organization that provides services such as street outreach, voluntary drop-in services, peer counseling, individual counseling, family-therapy and referrals for services such as educational and vocational training and health care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• 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.
• Custody: means custody in pursuance of or in compliance with expressed provisions of law;
  
  12. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• day services: shall mean care and treatment for part of the day of one or more children under eighteen years of age and their families in a program which provides to such children and families in accordance with their needs various services such as psychiatric, psychological, social casework, educational, vocational, health, transportation and such other services as may be appropriate. See N.Y. Social Services Law 430
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• 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.
• Foster parent: shall mean any person with whom a child, in the care, custody or guardianship of an authorized agency, is placed for temporary or long-term care, and "foster child" shall mean any person, in the care, custody or guardianship of an authorized agency, who is placed for temporary or long-term care. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• 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.
• Handicapped child: shall mean a child who possesses a specific physical, mental or emotional condition or disability of such severity or kind which, in accordance with regulations of the department, would constitute a significant obstacle to the child's adoption. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Hard to place child: shall mean a child, other than a handicapped child, (a) who has not been placed for adoption within six months from the date his guardianship and custody were committed to the social services official or a voluntary authorized agency, or (b) who has not been placed for adoption within six months from the date a previous adoption placement terminated and the child was returned to the care of the social services official or a voluntary authorized agency, or (c) who possesses or presents any personal or familial attribute, condition, problem or characteristic which, in accordance with regulations of the department, would be an obstacle to the child's adoption, notwithstanding the child has been in the guardianship and custody of the social services official or a voluntary authorized agency for less than six months. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Home: includes a family boarding home or a family free home. See N.Y. Social Services Law 371
• Incapacity: shall mean a substantial inability to care for a child as a result of: (a) a physically debilitating illness, disease or injury; or (b) a mental impairment that results in a substantial inability to understand the nature and consequences of decisions concerning the care of a child. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Persons: shall include a single person eligible to adopt a child as well as a couple eligible therefor. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prospective relative guardian: shall mean a person who has been caring for the child as a fully certified or approved foster parent for at least six consecutive months prior to applying for kinship guardianship assistance payments and who:
  
  (a) is related to the child through blood, marriage, or adoption; or
  
  (b) is related to a half-sibling of the child through blood, marriage or adoption and where such person or persons is or are also the prospective or appointed relative guardian or guardians of such half-sibling; or
  
  (c) is an adult with a positive relationship with the child, including, but not limited to, a step-parent, godparent, neighbor or family friend. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Prospective successor guardian: shall mean a person or persons whom a prospective relative guardian or a relative guardian seeks to name or names in the original kinship guardianship assistance agreement, or any amendment thereto, as set forth in section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title, as the person or persons to provide care and guardianship for a child in the event of the death or incapacity of a relative guardian, who has not been approved in accordance with subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision five of section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Relative guardian: shall mean a person or persons who was appointed, as a guardian or permanent guardian for a child after entering into an agreement with a social services official for the receipt of payments and services in accordance with this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• safe house: means a residential facility operated by an authorized agency as defined in subdivision ten of § 371-a of the executive law or a not-for-profit agency with experience in providing services to sexually exploited youth and approved in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services that provides shelter for sexually exploited children. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Service: shall mean the child care review service created by this title. See N.Y. Social Services Law 441
• sexually exploited child: means any person under the age of eighteen who has been subject to sexual exploitation because he or she:
  
  (a) is the victim of the crime of sex trafficking as defined in § 230. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• short-term safe house: means a residential facility operated by an authorized agency as defined in subdivision ten of § 371-a of the executive law or a not-for-profit agency with experience in providing services to sexually exploited youth and approved in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services that provides emergency shelter, services and care to sexually exploited children including food, shelter, clothing, medical care, counseling and appropriate crisis intervention services at the time they are taken into custody by law enforcement and for the duration of any legal proceeding or proceedings in which they are either the complaining witness or the subject child. See N.Y. Social Services Law 447-A
• Social services official: shall mean a county commissioner of social services, a city commissioner of social services, or an Indian tribe with which the department has entered into an agreement to provide adoption services in accordance with subdivision two of section thirty-nine of this chapter. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Social services official: shall mean a county commissioner of social services, a city commissioner of social services, or an Indian tribe with which the office of children and family services has entered into an agreement to provide foster care services in accordance with subdivision two of section thirty-nine of this chapter. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Successor guardian: shall mean a person or persons that is approved by a local social services district to receive payments pursuant to this title in accordance with subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision five of section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title and that has been named in the agreement in effect between the relative guardian and social services official for kinship guardianship assistance payments pursuant to this title who shall provide care and guardianship for a child in the event of death or incapacity of the relative guardian, as set forth in section four hundred fifty-eight-b of this title, who has assumed care for and is the guardian or permanent guardian of such child, provided that such person was appointed guardian or permanent guardian of such child by the court following, or due to, the death or incapacity of the relative guardian. See N.Y. Social Services Law 458-A
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Voluntary authorized agency: shall mean an authorized agency as defined in paragraphs (a) and (c) of subdivision ten of section three hundred seventy-one of this article. See N.Y. Social Services Law 451
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.