Across
- 4. Unlike criminal cases, in which defendants found guilty can be punished by time in prison or even the death penalty, defendants found to be at fault in civil cases generally face only _________ damages or court orders to take or not take some action.
- 6. In civil actions, the person or organization filing the lawsuit — called the “plaintiff” or “petitioner” — seeks payment of monetary damages, a court order preventing the person being sued — called the “__________” or “respondent” — from engaging in certain acts, or both.
- 7. While guilt in criminal cases must be proven “beyond a __________ doubt,” liability in civil cases must generally be proven by a lower standard of proof known as “the preponderance of the evidence.”
- 8. While criminal and civil cases are treated very differently by the Constitution and the courts, the same acts can subject a person to both criminal and civil _________.
Down
- 1. Defendants in civil cases must either pay for an__________, or choose to represent themselves.
- 2. Rather than prosecution for criminal acts, civil cases involve disputes such as legal liability for accidents, breach of business ____________, most discrimination and employment-related disputes, and other non-criminal disputes between individuals.
- 3. Many civil cases are decided directly by a ______. While they are not constitutionally required to do so, most states voluntarily allow jury trials in civil cases.
- 5. Today, federal law requires a civil suit must involve a disputed amount of over $75,000 to be heard by a _________ court.