Criminal
A criminal case results when a person, the defendant, is accused of committing a crime. By presenting evidence at trial, the state, represented by the district or county attorney, must prove that the defendant committed the charges "beyond a reasonable doubt." Although the defendant is constitutionally entitled to be presumed innocent, the members of the jury must consider all of the evidence presented at the trial and ultimately determine whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty of the crime.
Civil
A civil case results from a disagreement or dispute between two or more individuals or organizations. The party bringing the civil suit is the plaintiff. The party being sued is the defendant. Civil suits usually involve disagreements about money or property, and no criminal violations are involved. In a civil case, you, as a juror, must answer questions of disputed facts based upon the testimony and evidence admitted by the Judge. The answers to these questions are called the verdict.
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Updated: 05-Jul-2010
