civil lawsuits
Non-criminal legal cases
Civil lawsuits are legal disputes between private parties—individuals, businesses, or organizations—seeking money damages or court orders rather than criminal punishment.
One party (the plaintiff) sues another (the defendant) over contracts, property, injuries, or rights violations.
She filed a civil lawsuit against her former employer for wrongful termination.
Unlike criminal cases, civil lawsuits require only a preponderance of evidence, not proof beyond reasonable doubt.
- juryLegal decision-making body
- judgeOne who decides
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- defamationFalse statements harming reputation
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
plaintiff · class action · personal injury · breach of contract · statute of limitations · filing deadline · small claims · witness · verdict · defendant · day in court · discovery phase · punitive damages · attorney · pro bono · injunctions · out of court · summons
- police reformpolice brutality, police misconduct, body cameras, community oversight, qualified immunity
civil lawsuitscriminal prosecution
Government's legal action against accused
criminal cases · criminal charges · criminal proceedings · criminal trials · felony charges
civil lawsuitsarbitration
Non-court binding dispute resolution
mediation · out-of-court settlement · negotiated settlement · binding arbitration · conciliation