Simple English definitions for legal terms
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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.
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.
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.