Defendant
noun
A person, company or group facing charges in a court of law.
The judge asked the defendant if they understood the charges against them.
Often appears as...
- accused defendant
- alleged defendant
Usage tips
Formal
noun
A person, company or group facing charges in a court of law.
The judge asked the defendant if they understood the charges against them.
Often appears as...
- accused defendant
- alleged defendant
Usage tips
Formal
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Legal Context
Used strictly in legal situations to describe someone being tried or sued.
The court addressed the defendant regarding the lawsuit.
Pro Tip 2/3Presumption of Innocence
'Defendant' doesn't mean guilty; it indicates someone's charges are not yet proven.
The defendant maintained their innocence as the trial began.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Term
The term is neutral and does not imply character judgment.
Legal documents referred to Mr. Smith as the defendant.
Pro Tip 1/3Legal Context
Used strictly in legal situations to describe someone being tried or sued.
The court addressed the defendant regarding the lawsuit.
Pro Tip 2/3Presumption of Innocence
'Defendant' doesn't mean guilty; it indicates someone's charges are not yet proven.
The defendant maintained their innocence as the trial began.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Term
The term is neutral and does not imply character judgment.
Legal documents referred to Mr. Smith as the defendant.
Pro Tip 1/3Legal Context
Used strictly in legal situations to describe someone being tried or sued.
The court addressed the defendant regarding the lawsuit.
Pro Tip 2/3Presumption of Innocence
'Defendant' doesn't mean guilty; it indicates someone's charges are not yet proven.
The defendant maintained their innocence as the trial began.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Term
The term is neutral and does not imply character judgment.
Legal documents referred to Mr. Smith as the defendant.
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Video examples
How judges can show...
a community court program that provided alternative sanctions. This means now a judge can sentence a defendant to punishment with assistance. So a defendant who would otherwise get a jail sentence would now be able to get individual counseling sessions,
Video examples
Machine intelligence...
Such hidden biases and black-box algorithms that researchers uncover sometimes but sometimes we don't know, can have life-altering consequences. In Wisconsin, a defendant was sentenced to six years in prison for evading the police.
Video examples
The surprising...
He actually sits down with all of his prosecutors to help them see that there's basically two categories of defendants in the the ones we're afraid of -- oftentimes, rightfully so -- and the ones we're mad at.
Video examples
You aren't at the mercy...
was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Now, when a jury has to make the decision between life in prison and the death penalty, they base their decision largely on whether or not the defendant
Video examples
LA92 Panel - Live PIPE...
you better believe it yeah yeah they're holding the jungle bag tiger I'm jungle no sir I think the defendants are jungle people okay for you to support those defendants is another is an indication
Video examples
How forgiveness can...
This kind of precedent should trigger and encourage more such actions. It's time for a reset, given mass incarceration, medical and consumer debt and given indigent criminal defendants
Video examples
History vs. Genghis Khan...
But was Genghis Khan a vicious barbarian or a unifier who paved the way for the modern world? We'll see in "History vs. Genghis Khan." "Order, order. Now who's the defendant today?
Video examples
Giant Seal Fights Off...
this old male is the beachmaster he defendants a harem of females here to give birth on this raised sandy beach
Video examples
LA 92 - Official Film...
the defendant not guilty today this jury told the world that what we all saw wasn't a crime
Video examples
What the Discovery of...
ship they said no parts of it was left there's a very powerful defendant
Video examples
How judges can show...
a community court program that provided alternative sanctions. This means now a judge can sentence a defendant to punishment with assistance. So a defendant who would otherwise get a jail sentence would now be able to get individual counseling sessions,
Video examples
Machine intelligence...
Such hidden biases and black-box algorithms that researchers uncover sometimes but sometimes we don't know, can have life-altering consequences. In Wisconsin, a defendant was sentenced to six years in prison for evading the police.
Video examples
The surprising...
He actually sits down with all of his prosecutors to help them see that there's basically two categories of defendants in the the ones we're afraid of -- oftentimes, rightfully so -- and the ones we're mad at.
Video examples
You aren't at the mercy...
was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Now, when a jury has to make the decision between life in prison and the death penalty, they base their decision largely on whether or not the defendant
Video examples
LA92 Panel - Live PIPE...
you better believe it yeah yeah they're holding the jungle bag tiger I'm jungle no sir I think the defendants are jungle people okay for you to support those defendants is another is an indication
Video examples
How forgiveness can...
This kind of precedent should trigger and encourage more such actions. It's time for a reset, given mass incarceration, medical and consumer debt and given indigent criminal defendants
Video examples
History vs. Genghis Khan...
But was Genghis Khan a vicious barbarian or a unifier who paved the way for the modern world? We'll see in "History vs. Genghis Khan." "Order, order. Now who's the defendant today?
Video examples
Giant Seal Fights Off...
this old male is the beachmaster he defendants a harem of females here to give birth on this raised sandy beach
Video examples
LA 92 - Official Film...
the defendant not guilty today this jury told the world that what we all saw wasn't a crime
Video examples
What the Discovery of...
ship they said no parts of it was left there's a very powerful defendant
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Vincent Bugliosi
American Author
The reality is that most celebrity defendants are extremely unknowledgeable, naive, and vulnerable, and if they get into trouble, they usually call their lawyer friends who handle criminal cases, and if they don't know any, they call their business lawyers, who then refer them to lawyer friends of theirs.
Quote examples
Robert Zubrin
American Scientist
The EPA code needs to set forth a clear, regular, and rational system of penalties for violations of its code, with the amount of the penalty set in proportion to the amount of pollutant released by a given defendant, and no penalties imposed in the absence of any pollutant released.
Quote examples
Lawrence O'Donnell
American Journalist
Practically, every defense lawyer knows that the jury desperately wants to hear from the defendant and that the only reason not to put him on the stand is that he is soooo guilty that every answer he gives after his name will eradicate any shred of reasonable doubt.
Quote examples
Marcia Clark
American Lawyer
The prosecution has an ethical duty to ensure not just that they get a conviction when the defendant is guilty, but also to ensure that they get it by means of fair trial, and that means a fair trial for the defense as well as the prosecution.
Quote examples
Susana Martinez
American Politician
Every judge should have real-time access to the criminal background and history of defendants who appear in their courtrooms - so that sentencing and bail decisions can be made with that information.
Quote examples
John Grisham
American Writer
Most criminal defendants do not get adequate representation because there are not enough public defenders to represent them. There is a lot that is wrong.
Quote examples
Alan Dershowitz
American Lawyer
The defendant wants to hide the truth because he's generally guilty. The defense attorney's job is to make sure the jury does not arrive at that truth.
Quote examples
Darryl Glenn
American Politician
I told the truth when I said I have never been arrested. I have never been handcuffed or fingerprinted. I have never appeared in court as a defendant.
Quote examples
Kevin Mitnick
American Businessman
I don't know of any case that involves computer hacking where there were multiple defendants charged where there wasn't an informant on the case.
Quote examples
Shirin Ebadi
Iranian Lawyer
Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants.
Quote examples
Vincent Bugliosi
American Author
The reality is that most celebrity defendants are extremely unknowledgeable, naive, and vulnerable, and if they get into trouble, they usually call their lawyer friends who handle criminal cases, and if they don't know any, they call their business lawyers, who then refer them to lawyer friends of theirs.
Quote examples
Robert Zubrin
American Scientist
The EPA code needs to set forth a clear, regular, and rational system of penalties for violations of its code, with the amount of the penalty set in proportion to the amount of pollutant released by a given defendant, and no penalties imposed in the absence of any pollutant released.
Quote examples
Lawrence O'Donnell
American Journalist
Practically, every defense lawyer knows that the jury desperately wants to hear from the defendant and that the only reason not to put him on the stand is that he is soooo guilty that every answer he gives after his name will eradicate any shred of reasonable doubt.
Quote examples
Marcia Clark
American Lawyer
The prosecution has an ethical duty to ensure not just that they get a conviction when the defendant is guilty, but also to ensure that they get it by means of fair trial, and that means a fair trial for the defense as well as the prosecution.
Quote examples
Susana Martinez
American Politician
Every judge should have real-time access to the criminal background and history of defendants who appear in their courtrooms - so that sentencing and bail decisions can be made with that information.
Quote examples
John Grisham
American Writer
Most criminal defendants do not get adequate representation because there are not enough public defenders to represent them. There is a lot that is wrong.
Quote examples
Alan Dershowitz
American Lawyer
The defendant wants to hide the truth because he's generally guilty. The defense attorney's job is to make sure the jury does not arrive at that truth.
Quote examples
Darryl Glenn
American Politician
I told the truth when I said I have never been arrested. I have never been handcuffed or fingerprinted. I have never appeared in court as a defendant.
Quote examples
Kevin Mitnick
American Businessman
I don't know of any case that involves computer hacking where there were multiple defendants charged where there wasn't an informant on the case.
Quote examples
Shirin Ebadi
Iranian Lawyer
Sadly the job security of lawyers has been ruined, so they are less willing to defend political defendants.
Example 1 of 10
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