(law) the defendant; the accused

The news article painted the defendant as a guilty man, even though he had been proven innocent.

The accused is a legal term.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America. The heartache and the hope, the struggle and the progress. The times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.

The accused is to appear before the court on Friday.

The court declared the defendant innocent.