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Simple English definitions for legal terms
defendant
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A quick definition of defendant:
A defendant is someone who is accused of doing something wrong. In criminal cases, this means they are accused of committing a crime. In civil cases, the defendant is the person or group that is being sued by someone else. Sometimes, the defendant is called a respondent, but this usually only happens in certain situations.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A defendant is a person or entity that is being accused of a crime in a criminal case or being sued by the plaintiff in a civil case. In some cases, the defendant is referred to as the respondent.
- In a criminal case, the defendant is the person who is accused of committing the crime. For example, if someone is charged with theft, they would be the defendant in the case.
- In a civil case, the defendant is the person or entity that is being sued by the plaintiff. For instance, if someone is suing a company for breach of contract, the company would be the defendant.
- In an appeal, the person responding to the appeal is called the respondent. For example, if someone appeals a court decision, the person who responds to the appeal is the respondent.
These examples illustrate how the defendant is the person or entity that is being accused or sued in a legal case. The defendant is the one who must defend themselves against the accusations or claims made by the plaintiff or prosecutor.