criminal-law legal-terms language
Formal language for victims in criminal cases
<p>Is there a term of art for the "victim" in a criminal case?</p>

<p>I've done a bit of searching, but can't really find an accurate answer. Often victims are lumped together with witnesses.</p>

<p>The reason that this is important to me is that victim is quite an emotive term, and implies intent and wrong-doing in a way that a term of art would not.</p>

<p>This seems particularly relevant in cases that might involve criminal negligence or other forms of strict liability. For example, shooting someone by mistake because you are playing with a gun. </p>

<p>You can get quite strange degrees of indirection here, for example people might be prosecuted for careless driving because someone was physically injured (or indeed theft / littering), and the victim isn't necessarily technically part of the case.</p>

<p>Often "victim" is the legal term most often used in criminal law. Another term which doesn't always precisely mean victim, but usually does, is "complaining witness." There are probably other terms used, but none that are used universally come to mind.</p>

<p>Of course, not all crimes have victims.</p>

<p>The term "victim" is frequently used in restitution statutes and in states that have a "victim's bill of rights."</p>

<p>In civil law, someone who is hurt by conduct is a "plaintiff", a "counterclaimant", a "crossclaimant" or simply a "claimant" or a "creditor".</p>
