Employee Background Verfication

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C-4 motion: Motion to dismiss on grounds that there is no prima facie case of guilty (FRCP 3.190©(4)

Calendar: List of cases scheduled for hearing in court.

Capias: A writ to the sheriff or other authorized agent to arrest the named person (nationwide).

Capias (instanter): Issuance of the arrest order with court direction to bring the named person before the court immediately, with no bond.

Capital Crime: A crime punishable by death.

Caption: The heading on a legal document listing the parties, the court, the case number, and related information.

Case Law: Law established by previous decisions of appellate courts, particularly the Supreme Court.

Cause: A lawsuit, litigation, or action. Any question, civil or criminal, litigated or contested before a court of justice.

Caveat: A warning; a note of caution.

Certified copy: a court document that is authenticated, signed and sealed by the clerk or deputy clerk.

Certiorari: A means of getting an appellate court to review a lower court's decision. The loser of a case will often ask the appellate court to issue a writ of certiorari, which orders the lower court to convey the record of the case to the appellate court and to certify it as accurate and complete. If an appellate court grants a writ of certiorari, it agrees to take the appeal. This is often referred to as granting cert.

Challenge: Term used in a jury trial when attempting to exclude a potential juror. Challenge for Cause: Objection to the seating of a particular juror for a stated reason (usually bias or prejudice for or against one of the parties in the lawsuit.) The judge has the discretion to deny the challenge. This differs from peremptory challenge.

Chambers: A judge's private office. A hearing in chambers takes place in the judge's office outside of the presence of the jury and the public.

Change of venue: Moving a lawsuit or criminal trial to another place for trial.

Charge to the jury: The judge's instructions to the jury concerning the law that applies to the facts of the case on trial.

Charges (multiple): A case with more than one count or offense listed on the court file.

Charging document: A citation, information, indictment, 923.01 or notice to appear, indicating that the named person committed a specific criminal offense or civil infraction.

Chief Judge: Chief Judge - Presiding or administrative judge in a court.

Circumstantial evidence: All evidence except eyewitness testimony. One example is physical evidence, such as fingerprints, from which an inference can be drawn.

Citation: The summons handed to the defendant indicating the offense committed.

Civil Action: Noncriminal cases in which one private individual or business sues another to protect, enforce, or redress private or civil rights.

Civil Procedure: The rules and process by which a civil case is tried and appealed, including the preparations for trial, the rules of evidence and trial conduct, and the procedure for pursuing appeals.

Class Action: A lawsuit brought by one or more persons on behelf of a larger group.

Clear and Convincing Evidence: Standard of proof commonly used in civil lawsuits and in regulatory agency cases. It governs the amount of proof that must be offered in order for the plaintiff to win the case.

Clemency or Executive Clemency: Act of grace or mercy by the president or governor to ease the consequences of a criminal act, accusation, or conviction. It may take the form of commutation or pardon.

Closing Argument: The closing statement, by counsel, to the trier of facts after all parties have concluded their presentation of evidence.

Codicil (kod'i-sil): An amendment to a will.

COI: Cost of Investigation; cost paid to the arresting agency

Commit: To send a person to prison, asylum, or reformatory by a court order.

Common Law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.

Community control: A form of probation restricting the defendant's movements to an extreme degree.

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