In civil court, a private party — an individual, business, or other entity — brings a lawsuit against another party, generally seeking compensation, an injunction, or another form of relief for a wrong they claim to have suffered. The government is not typically the party pursuing the case, though government entities can also be plaintiffs or defendants in civil matters.

In criminal court, the government itself brings the case, prosecuting a person accused of violating a criminal law. The purpose is different too: criminal cases are aimed at punishing and deterring conduct the law defines as a crime against society, not primarily at compensating a specific victim, even though victims are often central to the case.

Civil cases generally use a lower standard of proof, often described as a preponderance of the evidence, meaning the claim is more likely true than not. Criminal cases require a much higher standard, generally described as proof beyond a reasonable doubt, reflecting the serious consequences, including loss of liberty, that a criminal conviction can carry.

This difference in standards is one reason the same underlying conduct can sometimes result in different outcomes in each system — a case might not meet the higher criminal standard but could still meet the lower civil standard, or vice versa.

Civil court outcomes typically involve monetary damages, injunctions requiring or prohibiting certain conduct, or other equitable remedies tailored to the dispute. The losing party in a civil case does not face jail time as a result of that case alone.

Criminal court outcomes can include fines paid to the government, probation, or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offense and applicable sentencing rules. Criminal penalties are generally designed to punish and deter, not to compensate a specific victim, though restitution to a victim can sometimes be ordered alongside other penalties.

The same underlying event can sometimes lead to both a criminal prosecution and a separate civil lawsuit, since they serve different purposes and are brought by different parties. A criminal case does not automatically resolve any civil claims arising from the same conduct, and vice versa.

Because the standards of proof and the parties involved differ, the outcome of one case does not necessarily determine the outcome of the other, though evidence and findings from one proceeding can sometimes be relevant to the other.