In: Finance
Can an action result in both a crime and a tort? Why?
Crimes and torts are in some sense similar. Both involve someone doing something that’s bad in the eyes of the law. But not every criminal act can be the basis of a civil lawsuit, and certainly not every violation of civil law is a crime.
One of the differences between criminal and civil law has to do with the defendant’s state of mind. Convictions for most crimes require proof that the accused person committed the offense intentionally or recklessly. Someone can frequently be liable in civil court, on the other hand, with a less culpable state of mind.
A single act, like assault, can land someone in both civil and criminal court. But the standard of proof in these courts is different.
In criminal court, the federal or state government brings charges against the accused person and must prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt
In civil court, the injured party brings a legal action directly against the person accused of wrongdoing, through a lawsuit.