Criminal Cases VS Civil Cases

Criminal cases are brought by the government prosecutor against an individual or corporation for violating the law. The punishment in those cases is generally jail time or a monetary fine.

Civil cases are generally brought between two individuals or businesses against one another seeking money damages. Most common examples would be a case for breach of contract or personal injury.

The damages in a civil case are intended to compensate the plaintiff for the harm suffered and return them to the place they would be but for the action of the defendant.

Damages in a civil case differ from a fine in a criminal case in that while the goal of the damages in the civil case is to compensate for the loss, a fine is designed to deter future wrongful conduct.

If you have additional questions regarding this issue please contact the attorneys at Mitchell Hoffman & Wolf