Legal Definitions - criminal defendant

A criminal defendant is an individual who has been formally accused by the government of committing a crime and must respond to those accusations in a court of law.

Here are some examples to illustrate this term:

• Example 1: After a security camera captures footage of a person allegedly stealing electronics from a store, the police arrest Ms. Rodriguez. The prosecutor then reviews the evidence and decides to file formal charges of shoplifting against her. From the moment these charges are officially filed in court, Ms. Rodriguez becomes the criminal defendant in the case, as she is the individual against whom the state has brought criminal accusations.

• Example 2: Mr. Chen is pulled over by police and, after failing a sobriety test, is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The state then formally charges Mr. Chen with DUI. In the subsequent legal proceedings, Mr. Chen is referred to as the criminal defendant because he is the person facing the government's accusation of a criminal offense.

• Example 3: Following a lengthy investigation into financial irregularities at a large corporation, the government obtains an indictment against a former executive, Mr. Davis, for multiple counts of fraud and embezzlement. Once the indictment is issued and the case proceeds to court, Mr. Davis is the criminal defendant, as he is the party against whom the criminal charges have been formally presented by the prosecution.