It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into lawsuit. (Discuss)

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. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that civil trial be merged into this article or section. ... In legal parlance, a trial is an event in which parties to a dispute present information (in the form of evidence) in a formal setting, usually a court, before a judge, jury, or other designated finder of fact, in order to achieve a resolution to their dispute. ... Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated the criminal law. ...

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. A contract is a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties. ... Tort is a legal term that means civil wrong, as opposed to a criminal wrong, that is recognized by law as grounds for a lawsuit. ... Property law is the law that governs the various forms of ownership in real property (land as distinct from personal or moveable possessions) and in personal property, within the common law legal system. ... The law of evidence governs the use of testimony (e. ... A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ... A bench trial in the U.S. is a trial before a judge in which the defendant has waived his/her right to a jury trial. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the 1980s television show, see Trial by Jury (TV). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...