Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 19.2 > Chapter 19.2 - Issuance of Writ of Actual Innocence

• 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.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• 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.
• Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: means a corporation organized in accordance with this article. See Virginia Code 6.2-1331
• Credit union: means a cooperative, nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth and authorized to do business under this chapter for the purposes of encouraging thrift among its members, creating a source of credit at fair and reasonable rates of interest, providing an opportunity for its members to use and control their own money on a democratic basis in order to improve their economic and social condition, and conducting any other business, engaging in any other activity, and providing any other service that may be of benefit to its members, consistent with the provisions of this chapter and any regulations adopted by the Commission under this chapter. See Virginia Code 6.2-1300
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• 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.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Member credit union: means a credit union which is a member of the corporation. See Virginia Code 6.2-1331
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• 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}
• real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Shares: means the interest of a member having a savings account in a member credit union. See Virginia Code 6.2-1331
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.