A respondent is someone that answers to the charges that are filed against them. This can mean that person has had civil or criminal charges filed against them. In a civil suit, it is usually an individual person that files a case against a respondent. A case is filed when the plaintiff wants to bring legal action against another individual because they feel they have been wronged. An example of this is a divorce. A civil case can also involve parties that have broken a contract, such as a lease. Unlike criminal cases, civil cases usually do not result in the respondent having to serve jail time. A criminal case is usually brought against a person because they are accused of breaking a law. In criminal cases, the respondent is also known as the defendant. This means that a government entity such as the city, state or federal government is filing charges against an individual. A prosecutor is the one that formally brings the charges against a defendant.