Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 8 > Chapter 19 > Part 3 - Liability On Bonds

• Abuse: means the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• 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.
• 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.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Criminal disposition: means the disposition of criminal charges constituting an offense against a vulnerable person, as that term is defined by this section, either by conviction, or by pretrial diversion authorized by any court pursuant to title 40, chapter 15, or by an order deferring further proceedings and placing an individual on probation by post-trial diversion issued pursuant to title 40, chapter 35. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• 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.
• 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.
• Exploitation: means , in cases that are investigated by the department of human services, the improper use by a caretaker of funds that have been paid by a governmental agency to an adult or to the caretaker for the use or care of the adult. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• 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.
• Misappropriation: means any taking, possession or use of the property of a vulnerable person the elements of which constitute any criminal offense involving such property, or that constitute a violation of a fiduciary duty of a caretaker of a vulnerable person. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• Neglect: means the failure to provide goods and services necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• Offense against a vulnerable person: means any act that constitutes abuse, neglect, misappropriation or exploitation of the property of a vulnerable person even if the act does not constitute a criminal act, or any crime the elements of which constitute abuse, neglect, or misappropriation or exploitation of the property of a vulnerable person. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• 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.
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Property: means all interests of any type in real property, and any interests of any type in personal property whether in moneys or financial instruments of any type, goods, furnishings, and similar property. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• 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
• 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: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• 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
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Vulnerable person: means anyone who:
  (A) Is under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 68-11-1002
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105