I had once witnessed a scene which is still giving me nightmares. This happened one evening when I was taking a brisk walk along a street when suddenly a man ran past me in great speed. I heard strange noises from somewhere nearby and out of curiosity I strode towards the place where the noise was coming from. To my shock, I found a wounded person lying there crying for help. It seemed like the guy was involved in some sort of scuffle and was heavily injured. Blood was everywhere and he was finding it really hard even to breathe. For a moment, I was like stuck not knowing what to do. There was no one around. I quickly got to my senses and helped him to stand. Somehow, we managed to reach a place where I was able to call a taxi and take him to the hospital. By God’s grace, they were able to save his life. But the story did not end there. That day I realized how complicated things are when you get involved in such a situation.
As there was no direct witness for the crime, I naturally become involved in the lawsuit. Though I never had anything to do with the crime, I became a person of interest as the case progressed. According to U.S. law, there are certain things that have to be considered while taking up a lawsuit in a court of law. Whether criminal or civil, the plaintiff will have to produce sufficient proof against the assault or violation to get a favorable decision from the court.
Criminal law Vs civil law
Civil charges are made when it involves conflict between two individuals or institutions. Whereas criminal charges arise when the laws are society are broken by someone or involves physical assault of some degree. In criminal lawsuits, even if the victim is hesitant to proceed with the prosecution, the state has the power to pursue criminal charges. However, in civil lawsuits, the victim must file a lawsuit or complaint in order for the prosecution to happen. Civil lawsuits are mainly intended for recovering money that the plaintiff is rightfully. The main purpose of a criminal lawsuit is to punish the offender who had broken the law.
Whether it’s criminal law Vs civil law, the penalty will depend on the severity of the charges. In this case, I provided valuable evidence to the investigating officers by recounting exactly what had happened. Apparently, the person who committed the crime was the one who I had seen running past me that evening!