Article 2.3 Transfers of Structured Settlement Payment Rights
Most Misunderstood Legal Courthouse Terms A-C
Acquittal - Finding of not guilty
Adjournment - Postponing or recessing a court hearing
Adjudicate - To exercise judicial authority in settling a case
Affidavit - A written statement given voluntarily and under oath
Answer - The defendant's response to a plaintiff's allegations in a complaint
Arraignment - Proceeding in which an accused person is brought before a judge to hear the charges and or enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. Bail is set at this hearing.
Bail - Money or other security given to secure a person's release from custody, and guarantee his or her later appearance in court.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - The standard in a criminal case requiring that the jury be satisfied to a moral certainty that every element of a crime has been proven by the prosecution
Bond - A written statement that obligates one person to pay a specified amount of money to another if a certain condition occurs
Burden of Proof - In criminal, the prosecution has the burden of proving a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil, the plaintiff has the burden of proving the case by preponderance of evidence
Closing Arguments - Lawyers' final statement to the judge and/or jury after all parties have presented their evidence
Complaint - Civil - A document filed by the plaintiff containing a statement of the facts constituting the cause of action and a demand for judgment. It's the beginning of a civil action
Complaint - Criminal - A document filed by the prosecutor describing the alleged offenses committed by the defendant
Conservatorship - Proceeding to appoint a manager for a person who is either physically or mentally unable to care for himself or herself
Courtesy of Los Angeles Superior Court 2014