In civil cases, which party is the one that answers the petition?

• A. Plaintiff
• B. Defendant
• C. Prosecutor
• D. Respondent

Answer: (D)

In civil action, a petition or complaint starts the case and is filed by the plaintiff. The party who must respond to that petition is the respondent—the person who answers the allegations by filing an answer or other responsive pleading. This term highlights the pleading stage of the dispute, where one side presents the claims and the other side replies. Prosecution is a term used in criminal cases, not civil, and the initiator is the plaintiff, not the one answering. In many contexts the responding party may also be called the defendant, but the phrasing in this context uses respondent to denote the party answering the petition.