As used in this article:

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 51-1A-1

  • 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.
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See West Virginia Code 51-1A-1
  • Tribe: means a native American tribe, band or village recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state. See West Virginia Code 51-1A-1

(1) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(2) "Tribe" means a native American tribe, band or village recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state.