How does a civil case differ from a criminal case?
A civil case involves a dispute between two individuals or companies. A criminal case involves a lawsuit initiated by the government, either at the state level or the federal level, against an individual or corporation alleging some criminal wrongdoing. A criminal case typically results in the criminal defendant either being fined or imprisoned if found guilty. A civil case typically results in either a court order being entered directing that a person either do something or not do something or in the alternative can result in a judgment against one party directing that party pay a certain amount of money to the other party. A civil case cannot result in a criminal fine or sentence to jail. See Brien Roche’s book “Law 101” published by Sphinx Publishing for more information on this subject.
