co-defendant
/,koudi'fendənt/
Definition
- Noun:
- A defendant who has been joined together with one or more other defendants in a single action: In a legal case, a "co-defendant" is a person or entity who is formally accused alongside another person or entity in the same lawsuit or criminal proceeding. They share the status of being a defendant in that specific legal action.
Usage
- The term "co-defendant" is used primarily in formal legal contexts, such as in court documents, legal news, and discussions about lawsuits or criminal trials.
- It specifies that multiple parties are being sued or prosecuted together in one case.
- The prefix "co-" means "together" or "jointly," indicating the shared status.
Examples
- Noun:
- The judge ordered that the testimony of one co-defendant could not be used against the other.
- She and her business partner were named as co-defendants in the breach of contract lawsuit.
- The prosecution's case relied heavily on a deal made with a co-defendant who agreed to testify.
Advanced Usage
- "Co-defendant" vs. "Co-conspirator": A "co-conspirator" is someone who participates in a conspiracy with another, but they are not necessarily a "co-defendant" unless they are formally charged together in the same legal case. All co-defendants in a conspiracy case are co-conspirators, but not all co-conspirators become co-defendants.
- Strategic Implications: In legal strategy, the relationship between co-defendants can be complex. They may have aligned or conflicting interests, which can lead to situations where one co-defendant testifies against another in exchange for a lesser sentence (often called "turning state's evidence").
Variants and Related Words
- Defendant (n): The primary term for a person or entity accused in a civil lawsuit or charged with a crime in a criminal case.
- Co-plaintiff (n): A plaintiff who is joined together with one or more other plaintiffs in a single action. (This is the counterpart to a co-defendant on the side bringing the lawsuit.)
- Co-accused (n): A term similar to "co-defendant," more commonly used in some Commonwealth countries' criminal law contexts.
Synonyms
- Joint defendant: A direct synonym emphasizing the shared or joint nature of the accusation.
- Co-respondent: In specific types of cases, such as divorce proceedings (historically) or certain administrative hearings, this term can have a similar meaning of a jointly-named party.
Antonyms
- Plaintiff: The party who initiates a lawsuit.
- Prosecutor: The state's attorney who brings criminal charges against a defendant.
- Co-plaintiff: The opposing role in a multi-party lawsuit.
Related Phrases
- To be tried jointly with: This phrase describes the situation of co-defendants. (e.g., )
- Severance of defendants: A legal motion to separate the trials of co-defendants, often due to prejudicial evidence or conflicting defenses.
Noun
-
a defendant who has been joined together with one or more other defendants in a single action
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