John Doe defendant. An anonymous defendant labeled “John Doe” because the plaintiff does not, at the time of filing suit, know the person’s name. • John Doe defendants are common in several situations, such as police-brutality lawsuits in which the plaintiff does not know the names of the officers allegedly at fault. See JOHN DOE.
defendant
defendant (di-fen-d[schwa]nt). A person sued in a civil proceeding or accused in a criminal proceeding. — Abbr. D. Cf. PLAINTIFF.