Terms Used In Oregon Statutes > Chapter 127 - Powers of Attorney; Advance Directives for Health Care; Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Registry; Declarations for Mental Health Treatment; Death with Dignity for Life-Sustaining Treatment Registry; Declarations for Ment

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• 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.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriate advisory board: means the advisory board that has jurisdiction over a particular code, standard, license, certification or matter. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• 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.
• Articles of organization: means the document described in ORS § 63. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Asset forfeiture: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• 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}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• 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.
• 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.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• County court: includes board of county commissioners. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Court administrator: means a trial court administrator in a circuit court that has a trial court administrator and the clerk of the court in all other courts. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
• Defense attorney: Represent defendants in criminal matters.
• Delegate: means a person who is elected or appointed to vote in a representative assembly for electing a director or directors or on other matters. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Department: means the Department of Consumer and Business Services. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• 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.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• 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}
• Employee: means an individual that a corporation employs, including an officer or director whom the corporation employs with compensation for services beyond the services of board membership. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Entity: means a domestic or foreign limited liability company, corporation, professional corporation, foreign corporation, domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation, domestic or foreign cooperative corporation, profit or nonprofit unincorporated association, business trust, domestic or foreign general or limited partnership, two or more persons that have a joint or common economic interest, any state, the United States, a federally recognized Native American or American Indian tribal government or any foreign government. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• executive department: means all statewide elected officers other than judges, and all boards, commissions, departments, divisions and other entities, without regard to the designation given to those entities, that are within the executive branch of government as described in Article III, section 1, of the Oregon Constitution, and that are not:

  (a) In the judicial department or the legislative department;

  (b) Local governments; or

  (c) Special government bodies. See Oregon Statutes 174.112

• 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.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• Foreign limited liability company: means an entity that is an unincorporated association organized under laws other than the laws of the state and that is organized under a statute under which an association may be formed that affords to each of the entity's members limited liability with respect to the liabilities of the entity. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Forfeiture proceeds: means all property that has been forfeited in a proceeding under this chapter, including money, earnings from forfeited property and amounts realized from the sale of forfeited property. See Oregon Statutes 131A.005
• 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}
• 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.
• Incompetency: means the entry of a judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction adjudicating the member incompetent to manage the member's person or estate. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• 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.
• Instrumentality: has the meaning given in ORS § 131. See Oregon Statutes 131A.005
• 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}
• Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• Judgment: means the concluding decision of a court on one or more requests for relief in one or more actions, as reflected in a judgment document. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
• Law enforcement agency: means any agency that employs police officers or prosecutes criminal cases. See Oregon Statutes 131A.005
• legislative department: means the Legislative Assembly, the committees of the Legislative Assembly and all administrative divisions of the Legislative Assembly and its committees, whether denominated as boards, commissions or departments or by any other designation. See Oregon Statutes 174.114
• local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
• Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code: means the adopted specialty code that, subject to section 2, chapter 401, Oregon Laws 2019, prescribes standards for the construction of residential dwellings that are three stories or less above grade and have an exterior door for each dwelling unit, but are not facilities or homes described in ORS § 443. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• Manager: means a person, not necessarily a member, that the members of a manager-managed limited liability company designate to manage the limited liability company's business and affairs. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Manager-managed limited liability company: means a limited liability company that is designated as a manager-managed limited liability company in the limited liability company's articles of organization or the articles of organization of which otherwise expressly provide that a manager will manage the limited liability company. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Member: means a person with both an ownership interest in a limited liability company and all the rights and obligations of a member specified under this chapter. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Membership interest: means a member's collective rights in a limited liability company, including the member's share of profits and losses of the limited liability company, the right to receive distributions of the limited liability company's assets and any right to vote or participate in management. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Mistrial: An invalid trial, caused by fundamental error. When a mistrial is declared, the trial must start again from the selection of the jury.
• Money award: means a judgment or portion of a judgment that requires the payment of money. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
• Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
• Municipality: means a city, county or other unit of local government otherwise authorized by law to administer a building code. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• 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.
• Operating agreement: means any valid agreement, written or oral, of the member or members as to the affairs of a limited liability company and the conduct of the limited liability company's business. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Party: includes an individual who was, is or is threatened to be made a named defendant or respondent in a proceeding. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Person: means an individual or entity. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• person with a disability: means any person who:

  (a) Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities;

  (b) Has a record of such an impairment; or

  (c) Is regarded as having such an impairment. See Oregon Statutes 174.107

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Proceeding: means any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory and whether formal or informal. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Proceeds of prohibited conduct: includes any benefit, interest or property of any kind, without reduction for expenses of acquiring or maintaining the property. See Oregon Statutes 131A.005
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public body: has the meaning given in ORS § 174. See Oregon Statutes 131A.005
• 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 notice: means any legal publication which requires an affidavit of publication as required in ORS § 193. See Oregon Statutes 174.104
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• 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.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
• Shell entity: means an entity that has the characteristics described in ORS § 63. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• Sign: means to indicate a present intent to authenticate or adopt a document by:

  (a) Affixing a symbol to the document;

  (b) Inscribing or affixing a manual, facsimile or conformed signature on the document; or

  (c) Attaching to, or logically associating with, an electronic transmission any electronic sound, symbol or process, including an electronic signature. See Oregon Statutes 65.001

• Small Home Specialty Code: means the specialty code adopted under section 2, chapter 401, Oregon Laws 2019. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• special government body: means any of the following:

  (a) A public corporation created under a statute of this state and specifically designated as a public corporation. See Oregon Statutes 174.117

• State building code: means the combined specialty codes. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• state government: means the executive department, the judicial department and the legislative department. See Oregon Statutes 174.111
• State Treasury: includes those financial assets the lawful custody of which are vested in the State Treasurer and the office of the State Treasurer relating to the custody of those financial assets. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Structural code: means the specialty code prescribing structural standards for building construction. See Oregon Statutes 455.010
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Supplemental judgment: means a judgment that may be rendered after a general judgment pursuant to a legal authority. See Oregon Statutes 18.005
• 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 jury: A group of citizens who hear the evidence presented by both sides at trial and determine the facts in dispute. Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons.
• Trustor: The person who makes or creates a trust. Also known as the grantor or settlor.
• Uncompensated officer: means an individual who serves in an office without compensation other than payment solely for actual expenses the individual incurs in performing duties of the individual's office or payment for the average expenses the individual incurs over the course of a year. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• 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}
• United States: means the federal government and a district, authority, bureau, commission, department or any other agency of the United States. See Oregon Statutes 63.001
• United States: means the federal government or a district, authority, bureau, commission, department or any other agency of the United States. See Oregon Statutes 65.001
• Unsafe condition: includes but is not limited to:

  (a) Any portion, member or appurtenance of a building that has become detached or dislodged or appears likely to fail or collapse and thereby injure persons or damage property; or

  (b) Any portion, of a building or structure that has been damaged by earthquake, or by fire or explosion resulting from an earthquake, to the extent that the structural strength or stability of the building is substantially less than it was prior to the earthquake. See Oregon Statutes 455.010

• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• Violate: includes failure to comply. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
• Voir dire: The process by which judges and lawyers select a petit jury from among those eligible to serve, by questioning them to determine knowledge of the facts of the case and a willingness to decide the case only on the evidence presented in court. "Voir dire" is a phrase meaning "to speak the truth."
• Vote: means an authorization by written ballot or written consent, where permitted, or by another method that a corporation specifies as an authorization. See Oregon Statutes 65.001