Question

One major difference between civil and criminal cases is that civil cases:

A. are always started by the government.
B. can result in a defendant being sent to jail.
C. can be brought against both juveniles and adults.
D. can be decided by a judge instead of a jury.

Answer 1

D. can be decided by a judge instead of a jury.

Step-by-step explanation:

In criminal cases, matters are almost always decided by a jury. But, in civil cases, one can often opt to have either a jury or a judge decide the case.

In criminal cases, you can plead and not stand trial before a jury, but in civil cases, you can decide with the other party, be you plaintiff or defendant.

Civil cases usually involve private disputes between persons or organizations. Criminal cases involve an action that is considered to be harmful to society as a whole (hence, these are considered offenses against the "state" or the jurisdiction of the prosecution).