What is the difference between a criminal case and a civil case?

Bacchante: What is the difference between a criminal case and a civil case?
What is a criminal case, and what is a civil case? Are they both very similar?

Answers and Views:

Answer by jslinderml
Um, no.

A criminal case is brought by the government against person who are accused of breaking the law. A civil case is brought to settle a dispute (the government can still bring one).

In general, criminal cases can result in incarceration, the impact of civil matters is primarily financial.

Answer by Pressed Rat
A criminal case is brought by the state for a violation of the Penal Code. Successful prosecution results in punishment.

A civil case is brought by a victim for damages. Successful prosecution results in an award of damages (usually money).

Answer by Max Hoopla
You don’t go to jail if you lose a civil case.

Answer by Brenton W
Civil cases are generally brought by private individuals or corporations seeking to collect money owed or monetary damages. A criminal case is brought by the local, state or federal government in response to a suspected violation of law and seeks a fine, a jail sentence or both.

Answer by lillllbit
No, they are not even remotely similar. In criminal actions the plaintiff is always the state or the United States of America in federal cases charging that someone has broken a law. In civil matters the plaintiff is an individual or a company or corporation and the issue is usually but not always a claim of monetary damages. Family law cases such as adoptions, divorces, child custody and support, etc., are also civil cases.