Rule 8(c) requires affirmative defenses to be pleaded where?

• A. In the Answer
• B. In the complaint
• C. In a pretrial motion
• D. In the reply

Answer: (A)

Affirmative defenses are claims that admit the plaintiff’s allegations but assert additional facts that defeat or mitigate liability. Under Rule 8(c), these defenses must be pleaded in the defendant’s Answer to the complaint. This placement gives the plaintiff notice of the defenses and helps the court manage the case by defining the issues early. The complaint is the plaintiff’s prose of what happened; raising affirmative defenses there would blur who bears the burden and when. A pretrial motion can address certain procedural challenges, but it does not substitute for pleading the affirmative defenses. The reply is used to respond to the plaintiff’s claims or to address counterclaims, not to plead the original affirmative defenses. If these defenses aren’t pleaded in the Answer, they can be waived.