1. Lack of conformity; nonconformity. 2. Geology A surface between successive strata representing a missing interval in the geologic record of time, and produced either by an interruption in deposition or by the erosion of depositionally continuous strata followed by renewed deposition.
Trial Courts. In trial courts, witnesses are heard, testimony is received, exhibits are offered into evidence, and a verdict is rendered. The trial court structure in Texas has several different levels, each level handling different types of cases, with some overlap.
In the lower courts, one of the most common types of trials is a bench trial. A bench trial is a court trial in which two parties are brought before a judge to present their respective cases and evidence. In this type of trial a jury is not present; the judge is the only official who presides over the case, and can speak directly to both parties.