Explain the difference between a criminal case and a civil case.

A criminal case happens when the government files a case in court to punish someone (the defendant) for committing a crime. A civil case happens when one person, business, or agency sues another one because of a dispute between them, usually involving money.

Explanation: The difference is who sues, as well as the potential penalties. Namely, when it comes to a civil case, a citizen can file a lawsuit against another citizen, say a neighbor, or against an organization, a company, and the like. In such cases, the sentence is usually not a prison sentence, but some other form of punishment as compensation, etc.

In a criminal case, it is usually the government, i. e. the competent prosecutor's office, which sues the citizen. This is usually considered a lawsuit against criminal activity by individuals or a group, which may be harmful to others or to the state as a whole. In that case, the sentence is usually imprisonment or some other type of punishment provided for the crime.