Generally, a civil case is initially heard by a local court of the municipality or province in which the defendant resides.

一般而言，民事案件首先由被告所在省市的地方法院审理。

youdao

The civil jurisdiction of the High Court is based on the service of originating process and submission to jurisdiction by the defendant.

高等法院的民事管辖权建立在传票的送达和被告服从管辖的基础上。

youdao

The countercharge, an important system in the civil action, is a basic litigious right the defendant has.

反诉是民事诉讼中一项重要的制度，它是被告所享有的民事诉权，也是一项基本诉讼权利。

youdao

DeLay has neither been indicted nor named as a defendant in the civil suit.

NPR: Washington Eyes DeLay PAC Trial in Texas

In a Dec. 3 decision Selna said he would make permanent a May 27 preliminary injunction he issued containing these prohibitions against Jason Gilliam and his father, Richard Gilliam, who is also a defendant in the civil litigation.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Among the civil suits filed so far, about 30 name Facebook as a defendant, according to the Stanford database.

WSJ: Facebook Faces Lawsuits, Arbitration Over Its Initial Public Offering