who is named as the plaintiff in a criminal complaint
Plaintiff A plaintiff (Î  in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an action) before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy, and if successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the plaintiff and make the appropriate court order (e.g., an order for damages). "Plaintiff" is the term used in civil cases in most English-speaking jurisdictions, the notable exception being England and Wales, where a plaintiff has, since the introduction of the Civil Procedure Rules in 1999, been known as a "claimant", but that term also has other meanings. In criminal cases, the prosecutor brings the case against the defendant, but the key complaining party is often called the "complainant".
Criminal procedure In Anglo-American law, the party bringing a criminal action (that is, in most cases, the state) is called the prosecution, but the party bringing a civil action is the plaintiff. In both kinds of action the other party is known as the defendant. A criminal case against a person called Ms. Sanchez would be described as “United States vs. (=versus, or against) Sanchez” in the United States if initiated by the federal government; if initiated by a state, it would typically be called "[Name of the State] vs. Sanchez" or "The People vs. Sanchez." In England, it would be styled “R. (Regina, that is, the Queen) vs. Sanchez.” But a civil action between Ms. Sanchez and a Mr. Smith would be “Sanchez vs. Smith” if started by Sanchez, and “Smith vs. Sanchez” if started by Mr. Smith.