Criminal v. Civil Cases

Criminal Law

In a criminal case, a court decides if a person accused of breaking _

Ithe law is guilty or not guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony.

Steps for a Felony Case:

1) a person accused of a crime may be arrested if the police

have probable cause (a good reason)

2) the accused person may be put in jail or released on bail until

he/she goes to court

3) the case then goes to an arraignment (a pre-trial), where the

basics of the case are told to the judge, the defendant can be

appointed a lawyer, and he/she enters a plea

4) a court date is set for the real trial to start

5) a trial is held and a verdict is decided upon

6) a guilty verdict may be appealed to the Court of Appeals or

to the Supreme Court in a few cases

Civil Law

In a civil case, a court settles a disagreement between two parties.

(example: a divorce)

Steps for a Civil Case:

1) the plaintiff files a complaint to recover damages or receive

compensation

2) the case can then be heard by a judge or jury

3) after a decision, the case can be appealed to the Court of

Appeals and the Supreme Court .

Cases Involving Juveniles:

--judges have more freedom in cases involving juveniles

--juveniles who commit serious crimes can be tried as adults