Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 36-10.1 - Rhode Island Public Employee Pension Revocation and Reduction Act

• 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.
• 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}
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Crime related to public office or public employment: shall mean any of the following criminal offenses:

  (1)  The committing, aiding, or abetting of an embezzlement of public funds;

  (2)  The committing, aiding, or abetting of any felonious theft by a public officer or employee from his or her employer;

  (3)  Bribery in connection with employment of a public officer or employee; and

  (4)  The committing of any felony by a public officer or employee who, willfully and 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, duties, or position of his or her public office or employment position. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.1-2

• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. ^{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}
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• 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.
• 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.
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• 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.
• public employee: shall mean any current or former state or municipal elected official as defined in § 36-14-2(10), state or municipal appointed official as defined in § 36-14-2(4), and any employee of state or local government, of boards, commissions or agencies as defined in § 36-14-2(8)(i), (ii), who is otherwise entitled to receive or who is receiving retirement benefits under this title, under title 16, under title 45, under title 8, under chapter 30 of Title 28, under chapter 43 of Title 31, or under chapter 28 of Title 42, whether that person is acting on a permanent or temporary basis and whether or not compensated on a full-time or part-time basis. See Rhode Island General Laws 36-10.1-2
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.