The person defending or denying; the party against whom relief or recovery is sought in an action or suit, or the accused in a criminal case.
In every legal action, whether civil or criminal, there are two sides. The person suing is the plaintiff and the person against whom the suit is brought is the defendant. In some instances, there may be more than one plaintiff or defendant.
If an individual is being sued by his or her neighbor for TRESPASS, then he or she is the defendant in a civil suit....
Source: West's Encyclopedia of American Law, ©2005 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 134 words.)
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