Civil Cases
Civil cases involve the rights of private individuals and legal proceedings concerning these rights. They may involve property
or personal rights (e.g., actions arising from landlord and tenant disputes, automobile or other personal injury accidents,
or contract disputes).
Unlike criminal cases, civil cases involve individuals and organizations seeking to resolve legal disputes, where the victim
initiates the suit instead of the state. There is at least one plaintiff and one defendant for each case. The plaintiff’s
attorney or the plaintiff has the summons and complaint served upon the defendant. The served documents are filed at the court
administrator’s office, and a case file is opened on the computer. The computer system assigns a file number and a hearing
or other activity is scheduled.
In civil cases, the plaintiff needs to show a defendant is liable only by a "preponderance of the evidence," or more than
50 percent. Persons found liable in a civil case may only have to give up property or pay money, but they are not incarcerated.
Note: In Odyssey, conciliation cases and juvenile civil cases are considered to be a part of civil cases.Conciliation Cases
Conciliation cases involve disputes centered on money and property. They may involve property or personal rights, actions
arising from landlord and tenant disputes, failure to provide services stated in contract, or dishonored checks. Conciliation
claims are limited in terms of monetary value.
In a conciliation action, decisions are based upon evidence. This means that the party bringing the action (i.e., plaintiff)
must prove his or her case by presenting evidence that is more convincing to the judge than the opposing evidence.
Juvenile Civil Cases
Juvenile civil cases include cases that deal with matters where no violations have been committed by the parents/legal guardians
or the juvenile (e.g., parental notification, voluntary placement, and foster care review).