A civil case is a case where a plaintiff has to convince the jury that the defendant has caused damage. That's exactly what I'm going to do!
I'm going to sue you for damaging my property! This will be a civil case.
Ohh, so a civil case is basically a criminal case?
No no, a criminal case is a case where prosecutor must prove that the defendant committed a crime.
I made this decision based on precedents or other cases similar to this. This is called case laws.
I rule in favor of Mr.Jones. Mr.Richards, you owe Mr.Jones $1,000 for the damage done to his property
Courts used precedents since the 11th century in England. After the Americans separated from England, we took the tradition with us. This is called common law.
I have one question, your honor. When did courts begin to use precedents to rule on court cases?
Wow. Since you know so much about laws, do you mind answering why my friend in the military has to follow rules that don't apply to others?
Sure. Those are calledmilitary laws. These laws only apply to people serving in the military. For example, your friend must respect superior officials in the military.
Thanks for explaining these laws to me!
Ok now this is my last question. How do laws apply to children?
Well there are laws called juvenile laws. These laws describe ways to handle minors who break the law.