Terms Used In Ohio Code > Chapter 2930 - Victim's Rights

• Acquittal:
  1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
  2. A verdict of "not guilty."
   
• 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.
• Alleged juvenile offender: means a child who is alleged to have committed a delinquent act in a police report or in a complaint in juvenile court that charges the commission of a delinquent act and that provides the basis for the delinquency proceeding and all subsequent proceedings to which this chapter makes reference. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• 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.
• Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
• 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.
• Aquatic device: means any vessel, or any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• 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.
• Bond: includes an undertaking. See Ohio Code 1.02
• Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
• Case: means a delinquency proceeding and all related activity or a criminal prosecution and all related activity. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Child: includes child by adoption. See Ohio Code 1.59
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• 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.
• 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.
• Court: means a court of common pleas, juvenile court, municipal court, or county court. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Criminal offense: means an alleged act or omission committed by a person that is punishable by incarceration and is not eligible to be disposed of by the traffic violations bureau. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Custodial agency: means one of the following:

  (1) The entity that has custody of a defendant or an alleged juvenile offender who is incarcerated for a criminal offense, is under detention for the commission of a delinquent act, or who is detained after a finding of incompetence to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity relative to a criminal offense, including any of the following:

  (a) The department of rehabilitation and correction or the adult parole authority;

  (b) A county sheriff;

  (c) The entity that administers a jail, as defined in section 2929. See Ohio Code 2930.01

• 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.
• Defendant: means a person who is alleged to be the perpetrator of a criminal offense in a complaint, indictment, or information that charges the commission of a criminal offense and that provides the basis for the criminal prosecution and subsequent proceedings to which this chapter makes reference. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• defense: means the defense against criminal charges in a criminal prosecution or the defense against a delinquent child complaint in a delinquency proceeding. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Delinquency proceeding: means all proceedings in a juvenile court that are related to a case in which a complaint has been filed alleging that a child is a delinquent child. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Delinquent act: means an alleged act committed by a child, regardless of whether the child is competent, that does any of the following and is not disposed of by the juvenile traffic violations bureau serving the court under Traffic Rule 13. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• 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.
• 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.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• 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.
• imprisonment: means being imprisoned under a sentence imposed for an offense or serving a term of imprisonment, prison term, jail term, term of local incarceration, or other term under a sentence imposed for an offense in an institution under the control of the department of rehabilitation and correction, a county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse, a minimum security jail, a community-based correctional facility, or another facility described or referred to in section 2929. See Ohio Code 1.05
• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
• 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.
• 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.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Mistrial: An invalid trial, caused by fundamental error. When a mistrial is declared, the trial must start again from the selection of the jury.
• Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
• Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
• 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.
• Plea agreement: An arrangement between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for special considerations. ^Source:
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
• prosecution: means the prosecution of criminal charges in a criminal prosecution or the prosecution of a delinquent child complaint in a delinquency proceeding. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Prosecutor: means one of the following:

  (1) With respect to a criminal case, it has the same meaning as in section 2935. See Ohio Code 2930.01

• Public agency: means an office, agency, department, bureau, or other governmental entity of the state or of a political subdivision of the state. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
• state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Suspect: means a person who is alleged to be the perpetrator of a criminal offense. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• 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.
• United States: includes all the states. See Ohio Code 1.59
• Victim advocate: means a person employed or authorized by a public or private entity who provides support and assistance for a victim of a criminal offense or delinquent act in relation to criminal, civil, administrative, and delinquency cases or proceedings and recovery efforts related to the criminal offense or delinquent act. See Ohio Code 2930.01
• Victim advocate: work with prosecutors and assist the victims of a crime.
• Victim Impact Statement: A written or spoken statement by the victim or his or her representative about the physical, emotional, and financial impact of a crime on the victim. The statement is given to the court before sentencing.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.