Final answer:
The party who is sued or accused in a court case is known as the defendant. The plaintiff is the party that brings the lawsuit, which could be a person, company, or the government in criminal cases. Notable case names, such as Brown v. Board of Education, reveal who the petitioner is.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual or party who is the object of a lawsuit is called the defendant. When a case is brought to court, the plaintiff is the one who initiates the lawsuit, claiming to have incurred harm by the defendant. In criminal cases, the government stands as the plaintiff, accusing the defendant of breaking the law.
The case names, usually written in italics, help identify the parties involved. For instance, in the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education case, the names indicate that Brown was the petitioner, challenging the existing laws of racial segregation at that time.