Court Terminology

• The Judge is the central figure in the courtroom and is generally seated higher than everyone else. The judge allows both sides the opportunity to present their version of the facts. The Judge oversees all proceedings and decides legal questions that arise.
• The Courtroom Clerk/Bailiff sits at the desk to one side of the judge. The clerk is an officer of the court and records a summary of what happens in a case, orders made by the court during the trial, and the verdict at the end of the trial. The clerk may administer the oath or affirmation to jurors and all witnesses and marks all exhibits when they are received in evidence.
• Witnesses give testimony concerning the issue being tried.
• The Plaintiff (also called the Petitioner) is the person who submits a complaint to the court. In a criminal case, this would be the City of North Las Vegas.
• The Defendant (also called the Respondent) is the person against whom the complaint is brought. The defendant is the person charged with an offense.
• Lawyer, Attorney, and Counsel are names referring to the legal representative of a party in trial.
• The City Attorney/Prosecutor is the prosecuting officer who represents the State in criminal cases.
• Pro per is a term derived from the Latin in propria, meaning "for one's self", used to describe a person who handles his or her own case without a lawyer. When a non-lawyer files his or her own legal papers, he or she is expected to write "in pro per" at the bottom of the heading on the first page.