Legal Definitions - FTS

Here are the definitions rewritten for clarity and accessibility:

FTS

• FTS stands for Federal Technology Service.

  The Federal Technology Service was a former agency within the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Its primary role was to provide information technology and telecommunications services to other federal government agencies.

  • Example 1: In the 1990s, a new federal agency needed to set up its entire computer network and secure internet access. They would have likely contracted with the FTS to design, procure, and implement these critical IT infrastructure services.

    Explanation: This illustrates the FTS's function of providing comprehensive technology solutions to other government entities, acting as a central service provider for federal IT needs.

  • Example 2: A large government department required a secure, high-capacity telecommunications system to connect its offices across multiple states. The FTS would have been responsible for managing the contracts with private sector providers and overseeing the deployment of such a system to ensure it met federal standards and security protocols.

    Explanation: This highlights the FTS's role in managing large-scale telecommunications projects and ensuring interoperability and security for government operations.

FUER

• Fuer refers to the act of fleeing or escaping from the law. It encompasses any action taken by an individual to avoid arrest, prosecution, or legal proceedings.

  • Fuer in fait (pronounced "fuer in fact") describes actual, physical flight from the law.

    • Example 1 (Fuer in Fait): After a bank robbery, the suspect immediately drove away at high speed, attempting to evade the pursuing police vehicles. This physical escape is an act of fuer in fait.

      Explanation: The suspect's active and physical attempt to escape capture directly illustrates actual flight from the law.

    • Example 2 (Fuer in Fait): A person with an outstanding arrest warrant for a serious crime packed their belongings and moved to another country under a false identity to avoid being apprehended. This deliberate evasion is a clear instance of fuer in fait.

      Explanation: This demonstrates a sustained and intentional physical effort to avoid legal consequences, fitting the definition of actual flight.

  • Fuer in ley (pronounced "fuer in lay") describes legal flight from the law, typically occurring when an accused person fails to appear in court as required, which the law then interprets as an act of flight.

    • Example 1 (Fuer in Ley): A defendant who was out on bail failed to show up for their scheduled trial date, despite receiving proper notification. The court would consider this absence as fuer in ley, leading to a warrant for their arrest.

      Explanation: The failure to appear in court, a legal obligation, is treated by the justice system as if the person has fled, even without physical movement.

    • Example 2 (Fuer in Ley): A witness who was legally subpoenaed to testify in a criminal case intentionally ignored the summons and did not appear in court. This non-compliance could be considered fuer in ley, potentially resulting in contempt charges or an arrest warrant.

      Explanation: By failing to fulfill a legal duty to appear, the individual is legally deemed to be avoiding the judicial process, which is a form of legal flight.

FUERO

• Fuero is a term from Spanish law with several distinct meanings:

  1. A forum or court: It can refer to a specific judicial body or the jurisdiction it exercises.

     • Example: In a dispute over land ownership in a rural Spanish province, the local fuero (court) would be the appropriate place to hear the case.

       Explanation: Here, fuero is used to identify the specific court or judicial body with the authority to resolve the legal matter.

  2. The territory in which a court has the power to act: This refers to the geographical scope of a court's authority.

     • Example: A regional court in Spain might have its fuero (territorial jurisdiction) limited to cases arising within three specific municipalities.

       Explanation: This illustrates fuero as the defined geographical area over which a particular court holds legal power.

  3. A privilege enjoyed by some but not others: This meaning denotes a special right, exemption, or immunity granted to certain individuals or groups.

     • Example: Historically, members of the clergy or nobility in certain Spanish regions might have enjoyed a fuero (privilege) that exempted them from specific taxes or allowed them to be tried in special courts.

       Explanation: This demonstrates fuero as a distinct legal advantage or immunity not available to the general population.

  4. A custom having the force of law: This refers to long-standing local practices or traditions that are recognized and enforced as legal rules.

     • Example: In a small, ancient Spanish village, a particular method for sharing water resources among farmers, established over centuries and universally respected, could be considered a fuero (customary law) that guides local disputes.

       Explanation: This illustrates how a deeply ingrained local custom can acquire the authority and binding nature of formal law.

  5. Historically, a collection of local, usually customary, laws: In a historical context, fuero often referred to a comprehensive body of laws, frequently based on local customs, granted to a town or region by a monarch.

     • Example: When a medieval Spanish king granted a new town its charter, he might also bestow a fuero (code of laws) that outlined the town's governance, rights of its citizens, and local legal procedures.

       Explanation: This shows fuero as a historical legal document or compilation of laws that provided a framework for local administration and justice.