Collateral - Property that is promised as security for the satisfaction of a debt.⏎
Defendant - In a civil case, the person or organization against whom the plaintiff brings suit; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.⏎
Concurrent sentence - Prison terms for two or more offenses to be served at the same time, rather than one after the other. Example: Two five-year sentences and one three-year sentence, if served concurrently, result in a maximum of five years behind bars.⏎
Court reporter - A person who makes a word-for-word record of what is said in court, generally by using a stenographic machine, shorthand or audio recording, and then produces a transcript of the proceedings upon request.⏎
Clerk of court - The court officer who oversees administrative functions, especially managing the flow of cases through the court. The clerk's office is often called a court's central nervous system.⏎