endobj (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. A Defendant in a criminal case is also known as the accused. >> It is related to the word defenddefendants must defend (or be defended) against accusations of wrongdoing. As in the case of a Plaintiff, there can be more than one Defendant and a Defendant can be either a person or legal entity such as a partnership, organization or company. x^ R R 1 0 obj /Contents [31 0 R 32 0 R 33 0 R] In this post, I will compare defendant vs. plaintiff. /Contents [44 0 R 45 0 R 46 0 R] They would initiate a formal complaint and ask a judge to intervene. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /Length 9 /Contents [48 0 R 49 0 R 50 0 R] << /Parent 2 0 R >> Imagine that these two people are called Plaintiff and Defendant. /Parent 8 0 R endobj Meanwhile, a defendant is the party in a case who has been accused or charged with committing an offense against the plaintiff. /XObject << /S /Transparency /Parent 9 0 R Give us a call today! Typically, a Defendant seeks to prove his/her innocence and thereby deny the accusations listed by the Plaintiff. Defendant Defined. Defend has been used since Middle English borrowed it from Latin via French. 20 0 obj The defendant stated that he had to keep the apartments deposit because of the significant cleaning fees he was forced to pay due to the disgusting condition the plaintiff left the apartment in. In certain jurisdictions, a Plaintiff is also known as a claimant or complainant. Wellbeing or Well-Being Which is Correct? << >> 22 0 obj /Producer (PACSES Commonwealth of PA) Indeed, fans of Law and Order or any other legal drama are experts at distinguishing the two terms. /Parent 10 0 R /Type /Pages /XObject << 18 0 obj /Type /Pages >> /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] One way to remember the difference between these two words is to use the spelling of each as a mnemonic device. /ProcSet [/PDF /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI /Text] However, they have opposite meanings and cannot be interchanged. /Parent 2 0 R /K false In a criminal action, the Plaintiff is represented by the State. In other words, this is the person who is accusing another of some wrongdoing in a court of law, or in a lawsuit. endobj Indeed, fans of Law and Order or any other legal drama are experts at distinguishing the two terms. For those of us who are still a little uncertain of the difference, lets understand it through a simple example. , Two judges with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the case shouldnt go forward in civil court because the plaintiff, a former cadet who says she was raped, is seeking damages. << The defendant pleads not guilty, said Alistairs attorney. /I false >> /S /Transparency I will use each of these terms in an example sentence, so you can see them in context. << /CS /DeviceRGB The Plaintiff is the one bringing the lawsuit and the Defendant is the one being sued and is defending the lawsuit. The _______________ must file her claim before next year, before the statute of limitations runs out. Plaintiff and defendant are both legal terms regarding the people involved in a trial, usually a civil trial. A Defendant is the person who is being sued by the Plaintiff. /MediaBox [0 0 595 842] A defendant is a person in a civil lawsuit who is accused of doing something wrong. /Kids [14 0 R] The plaintiff is the person who has a complaint.