Civil trial

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A civil trial is a trial between private parties carried out to resolve a dispute between the parties. The term is distinguished from criminal trials, in which the government is seeking to punish an accused person for a violation of the law. A government entity can sue or be sued as a party in a civil trial, but has no greater rights than any other private party.

Most frequently, civil trials are brought to resolve questions arising under the law of contract, tort, and property. Each party will present evidence in support of their position, and a finder of fact - either a judge in the case of a bench trial, or a jury in the case of a jury trial - will render a decision as to whose rights have been violated. When the jury makes a decision, it is either liable or not liable. Most civil trials result in a cash award to the prevailing party, designed to restore that party to the position they would have been in but for the wrong that sparked the litigation.

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