Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 40 > Chapter 11 > Part 3 - Professional Bondsmen

• 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.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Board: means the board of ground water management. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• bondsman: extends to and includes the agents, representatives or employees of a professional bondsman, or those acting for the bondsman, whether with or without compensation or salary. See Tennessee Code 40-11-301
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation, the commissioner's duly authorized representative and, in the event of the commissioner's absence or a vacancy in the office of commissioner, the deputy commissioner of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation, the commissioner's duly authorized representatives, and in the event of the commissioner's absence or a vacancy in the office of commissioner, the deputy commissioner. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• 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.
• Dam: means any artificial barrier, together with appurtenant works, that does or may impound or divert water, and that either:
  (A) Is or will be twenty feet (20') or more in height from the natural bed of the stream or watercourse at the downstream toe of the barrier, as determined by the commissioner. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Days: means calendar days, including Sundays and holidays. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the department of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Division: means the division of water management of the department of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Drill: means to dig, drill, redrill, construct, deepen or alter a well. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Enlargement: means any change in, or addition to, an existing dam or reservoir, that does or may raise the water storage elevation of the dam. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• 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.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• 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.
• Farm pond: means any impoundment used only for providing water for agricultural and domestic purposes for the owner or occupant of the farm, the owner's or occupant's family, and invited guests, such as livestock and poultry watering, irrigation of crops, recreation, and conservation, but does not include any impoundment for which the water, or privileges or products of the water, are available to the general public. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Geothermal well: means a hole drilled into the earth, by boring or otherwise, greater than twenty feet (20') in depth constructed for the primary purpose of adding or removing British Thermal Units (BTUs) from the earth for heating or cooling. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• 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.
• Installer: means any person who installs or repairs well pumps or who installs filters and water treatment devices. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• 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.
• Lands: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Livestock: means all equine as well as animals that are being raised primarily for use as food or fiber for human utilization or consumption including, but not limited to, cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and poultry. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Owner: means any person who owns an interest in, controls, or operates a dam. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• 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: means any individual, organization, group, association, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, utility district, state or local government agency or any combination of them. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Person: means any individual, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust corporation, company, county, municipal or quasi-municipal corporation, public utility, utility or other district, the state of Tennessee and its departments, divisions, institutions, and agencies, and the duly authorized officers, agents, and representatives thereof, or any combination of any of the above. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Petit 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.
• Professional bondsman: means any person, firm, partnership or corporation, engaged for profit in the business of furnishing bail, making bonds or entering into undertakings, as surety, in criminal proceedings, or for the appearance of persons charged with any criminal offense or violation of law or ordinance punishable by fine, imprisonment or death, before any of the courts of this state, including municipal courts or securing the payment of fines, judgments or damages imposed and of costs assessed by those courts upon preliminary or final disposition thereof. See Tennessee Code 40-11-301
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Reservoir: means any basin that contains or will contain the water impounded by a dam. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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 the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Water: means that liquid, including solids or other matter dissolved or suspended in the liquid, that is or will be impounded. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Water storage elevation: means the maximum elevation of water surface that can be obtained by the dam or reservoir. See Tennessee Code 69-11-102
• Water well: means a hole drilled into the earth, by boring or otherwise, for the production of water. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Well: means one of these three (3) types of holes in the earth: a geothermal well, a monitoring well, or a water well. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• Well owner: means the person who owns the real property on which a well exists or is to be drilled. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105