Legal Definitions - defendant

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.