Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 5 > Article 10A - Disqualification for Public Retirement Plan Benefits

• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Alcoholic: means a person who suffers from alcoholism as defined in subdivision (2) of this subsection. See West Virginia Code 27-1A-11
• Alcoholism: means a disease or illness characterized by psychological or physiological addiction to alcoholic beverages as manifested by: (A) The inability to control one'. See West Virginia Code 27-1A-11
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• 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.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• 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.
• 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}
• Beneficiary: means any person eligible for or receiving benefits on account of the service for a public employer by a participant or former participant in a retirement plan. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• Benefits: means pension, annuity, disability or any other benefits granted pursuant to a retirement plan. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• board: means the Consolidated Public Retirement Board. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: means a conviction on or after the effective date of this article in any federal or state court of record whether following a plea of guilty, not guilty or nolo contendere and whether or not the person convicted was serving as an officer or employee of a public employer at the time of the conviction. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• Court reporter: A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court and produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.
• 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.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Drug abuse: means the use of any controlled substance as that term is defined in said chapter sixty-a, until such time as the user has become dependent upon or addicted to the same. See West Virginia Code 27-1A-11
• Drug abuser: means a person who is in a state of psychic or physical dependence, or both, arising from the administration of any controlled substance, as that term is defined in chapter sixty-a of this code, on a continuous basis. See West Virginia Code 27-1A-11
• Former participant: means any person who is no longer eligible to receive any benefit under a retirement plan because full distribution has occurred. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• 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.
• Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• 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.
• Less than honorable service: means :

  (1) Impeachment and conviction of a participant or former participant under the provisions of section nine, article four of the Constitution of West Virginia, except for a misdemeanor. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2

• 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.
• oath: shall be deemed to include an affirmation and the word "swear" or "sworn" to be complied with if the person referred to make solemn affirmation. See West Virginia Code 2-2-7
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Participant: means any person eligible for or receiving any benefit under a retirement plan on account of his or her service as an officer or employee for a public employer. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• plan: means the Public Employees Retirement Act pursuant to article ten of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• Plea agreement: An arrangement between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for special considerations. ^Source:
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Public employer: means the State of West Virginia and any political subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof for which there is established a retirement plan. See West Virginia Code 5-10A-2
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• substance: means alcohol, controlled substances as defined in sections §. See West Virginia Code 27-1-11
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.