Introduction
Laws can be classified in a variety of ways. But if we branch every law under two branches, it would be Civil law and Criminal law. Having so many branches and still, all the laws can be grouped in two categories shows how tricky these laws can be.
This is why even the lawyers and the judges find it hard to draw a distinct difference between the two. In a sense, both criminal trials are different from civil cases. But if you see from a personal injury cases perspective, it is really hard to differentiate the two.
With the personal injury, one can assume that it can be both accidental and intentional. When it is accidental, it falls under a civil case, but when the same case is considered intentional, it becomes a criminal case. To know more, visit The Barnes Firm New York.
We know the explanation is messed up, but this shows how the two laws are interlinked. To better understand the two laws, let’s try to understand the two individually.
Civil Vs. Criminal Lawsuits
It is essential that you know that although the two cases share the same court, they have different litigation and have different goals with different results. A civil lawsuit is focused chiefly on compensation. At the same time, Criminal cases are all about punishing the perpetrator.
Civil Lawsuit
As we have already said, Civil litigation is all about getting compensation for the things you have experienced due to the other party. In civil litigation, a party can sue another to receive compensation, court-ordered remedy, money, property, or something equivalent to that.
A plaintiff must hire a lawyer to represent him/her in the courtroom. The goal of the civil litigation is to compensate the claimants to recover back to their original estate before the injury. The litigation brings interesting results sometimes. Remember, Civil lawsuits aim to help the plaintiff and not punish the other side.
Criminal Lawsuit
A criminal lawsuit is filed when a person violates federal or state law. In the criminal case lawsuit, the aim of the court is to punish the perpetrator.
The government institutes the criminal lawsuits; if the defendants have committed any federal crime, the government pursues them with a relevant punishment.
Civil Vs. Criminal Lawsuits: Differences
Now that you have a clear understanding of their definition and know the basic difference, we will now move on to the other distinction.
1. Crimes Are Considered Offense
In both cases, crime is considered offensive. But the scale of the crime determines in which jurisdiction the case falls. If the case is a federal right, the case falls under the civil lawsuit. And if it is about murder or assault, it falls under the criminal lawsuit.
2. Difference In Punishment
The punishment of both the lawsuits varies. In civil cases, the person is charged monetary compensation for all the wrong things. But in criminal cases, the person can be liable for both jail time and monetary compensation.
3. Standard Of Proof
When we talk about criminal cases, the cases need “beyond the reason evidence” to prove what is right and what is wrong. Without the evidence, the judge will never come to a decision. But civil lawsuits have it easy in this regard.
4. Jury Trials
Criminal cases are always allowed to have trial cases by the jury. But in civil cases, the jury might deny the trial in some instances.
Wrapping It Up
Although the civil and criminal lawsuits are different, most people fail to notice that some of the scenarios can fall under the booth civil and criminal lawsuit liabilities – for instance, personal injury cases. These types of cases can be both depending on whether the injury is intentional or accidental.
The standard of proof defines which case falls under the civil lawsuit jurisdiction and which case falls under the criminal offense.
As mentioned above, a single case can be both civil and criminal, but criminal cases can give you prison time. That is why you must hire a competent lawyer to deal with your case.
