Reply #152: Precisely--the accepted legal term (I've done legal writing and research,

[blondeatlast]

btw) is "camplainant" and it is used almost exclusively in CIVIL cases, not criminal.

The way the defense att'y used it was quite intentional. It's intended to paint the alleged victim as a whiner (she was bruised and cut, for pity's sakes) and overly sensitive.

I'm still not choosing sides here, just deconstructing the defense attorney's public statement, in which he chose the language so very carefully--kind of like GWB and friends do...