Once a defendant has been found guilty, how should they be treated in relation to being a court customer?

• A. They remain a court customer
• B. They should be treated as a criminal and no longer as a court customer
• C. They become a defendant again
• D. They are discharged from the court's concern

Answer: (B)

The core idea is that status changes after a verdict. When guilt is found, the person moves from being a defendant in a case to a convicted individual with criminal status. That shifts the court’s role from handling someone who uses court services as a customer to enforcing criminal penalties and supervising compliance with the sentence. A “court customer” implies a transactional relationship for court services, separate from the consequences of a criminal conviction. After a guilty finding, the person is no longer simply a court customer; they are a criminal subject to sentencing, fines, probation, or other sanctions, and the court continues to oversee those obligations. They aren’t reclassified as a new defendant, and they aren’t discharged from the court’s concern, since the conviction carries ongoing legal responsibilities and potential further proceedings.